Monsters among Us: Using Lovecraft Country to Teach about Du Bois and Fanon

Abstract

This article provides tips on how popular media, specifically that of science fiction and horror, can be utilized in the classroom to elucidate complex concepts concerning race and ethnic relations. Drawing from the television series Lovecraft Country, I highlight how concepts found in the work of authors such as W. E. B. Du Bois and Frantz Fanon are made more interesting and digestible for students at the undergraduate level when presented in films that rely heavily on science fiction and imagination. Reflections are included from students who watched this series in class during weeks where Du Bois and Fanon were required reading, demonstrating the impact the show had on their understanding of the two thinkers specifically and the study of race and ethnicity generally.