I really enjoyed the structure of the course lectures and how time was dedicated to lecture and lecture concept workshops (discussions). I felt that I truly got to interact with the concepts that were taught by Dr. Herrera. I agree with the other review because I felt that she was definitely left-leaning but did try to make a way to discuss a movement and its respective counter-movement. Show up to lectures. Show up to the discussion. Plan and outline your assignments days and weeks in advance. There are 4 assignments in total that spanned about 4-6 pages (with the final being 10-12). If you really take a few hours each week to write the body paragraphs, you will thank yourself. The third assignment will require you to attend a social movement (zoom/in-person) and you will need to reflect on It. So, if you’re not at all passionate about social movements then I would not recommend taking the class. Even if lecture attendance is not taken, she will bring up super helpful extra tips for the essays so do attend them because she does not post her slides after class!

Sometimes, Dr. Herrera would make statements that may come off as brash and intimidating to students. In addition to this, the presentations felt unorganized and there were many instances where she felt unsure of what she was lecturing about, asking students to verify claims that she would make. Despite this, the times that I did approach her, she was very kind and receptive to my concerns, even offering her advice on how I should approach my essay. She challenged us in many ways that helped us expand how we interpret movements throughout history and just critically evaluate academic material in general.
The readings she selected and her breaking up readings from lecture and discussion-specific sections were absolutely great, as it meant you could split them up during the week. Not only did it spread out the readings throughout the week to make it less heavy for students, but it also helped me and my peers absorb the concepts better. She is surely an expert in her field and has extensive knowledge to share on social movements throughout history. It was also great being able to interact with peers who were genuinely passionate about the social movements that they chose to write about in their assignments.

Dr Herrera is the best. Funny, witty, and full of energy. The class consists of 4 essay assignments (85%), Section (10%), and 5% of your grade being in class workshops. The class is totally manageable as long as you are not leaving things to the last minute. Despite seeming to be left leaning from what I had picked up, she teaches without bias, and often will show different social movements both left leaning and right leaning in the same lecture. She will get to know your name at the beginning of the quarter and it is because she truly does care. Engage in class, with your TA, and follow the rubrics for the papers assigned. Also if you have questions, concerns, or need help... She is extremely approachable and will help you out!