Interview with Mark Richter (Class of 2014) by Marina Henke

Mark Richter ('14) shares his experience as an Africana Studies student who grew up in Brunswick, Maine. He tells of his path to the Africana Studies department, as largely influenced by his classes with Professor Brian Purnell, including his course on the popular television show, 'The Wire.’ Richter describes how his academic work at Bowdoin provided him with a certain language to explore and discuss topics that he had not had the verbage for before. He recounts certain classes in the department which allowed for conversations surrounding race and identity that may not have happened normally on campus. Finally, Richter offers insight into how his major at Bowdoin has prepared him for work at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, and given him tools as a white male to understand privilege and inequity.