Luke Bastiaansen · Sewanee: University of the South Omeka-S

Title

Luke Bastiaansen (Abstract)

Interviewee/ Narrator

Luke Bastiaansen

Interviewer

Eli Bastiaansen

Date

November 4, 2023

Location of the Interview

The narrator was located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania while the interviewer was located in Sewanee, Tennessee. The interview took place over Zoom with the audio recorded using “Voice Memos.”

Length

45 minutes, 14 seconds

Abstract

Born in Colorado Springs, Colorado, Luke Bastiaansen attended Swarthmore College in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania and is currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Urban Teaching from the University of Pennsylvania. He is a former Petey Greene Tutor at the State Correctional Institute (SCI) of Chester, Pennsylvania and currently teaches in the School District of Philadelphia. The interview began with a discussion of Bastiaansen’s transition to Philadelphia, a majority-minority city, as well as his experiences as a tutor in carceral settings. These experiences allowed Bastiaansen to recognize the importance of social and racial justice as well as education as a form of liberation. Bastiaansen views teaching and education as a source of power that can create change and work against the systemic policies that preserve and reinforce the school to prison nexus. Additionally, Bastiaansen discusses his reactions to the Black Lives Matter movement, stating that the countless murders were sadly an unsurprising reality due to the strength of white power, perpetuated by capitalism. With the rise of social media, Bastiaansen articulates his fears that as support of Black lives was abandoned, the protests for Palestine will be similarly dismissed and forgotten due to the quick news cycle that social media has created. Bastiaansen transitions into speaking about the importance of protests as well as the need to sacrifice individual social power to achieve justice. Bastiaansen argues that the Black Lives Matter movement successfully raised publicity but it did not create significant change due to the strength of white power. He explains the motivations for his current occupation as a teacher and concludes by describing the Black Lives Matter movement as a cultural movement. Bastiaansen emphasizes the importance of education, love, and sacrifice in countering systemic issues that subjugate Black individuals. This interview is part of the Black Lives Matter Oral History Project (BLMOHR) to document reactions, opinions, and interpretations of the Black Lives Matter movement.