For the first Clarke Forum of the year, Myisha Cherry came to speak to Dickinson College students about anger and how it’s an emotion that can be used for good. Myisha Cherry is an associate professor of philosophy at the University of California, Riverside. Professor Cherry focused on her newest book, “The Case for Rage: Why Anger is Essential to Anti-Racist Struggle.” She explained that anger is an emotion that is typically viewed as negative and one that is useless in academic or social settings. Professor Cherry challenged this concept, and believes rage is a powerful tool that, when utilized properly, can create progress in social justice and human rights issues. In the opening part of her lecture, she laid out the three types of rage: Wipe, Narcissistic, and Lordean. Although she considers Wipe and Narcissistic rage unhelpful, Lordean rage specifically targets racism and aims for change. Cherry noted that this version of rage comes with the perspective of, “I am not free until we all are.” Cherry continued to lay out her Case for Rage by explaining how rage can fuel positive action, break racial rules and be managed healthily. To give real-world examples, she referenced women she looks up to such as Sojourner Truth and Ida B. Wells, who spent their lives fighting for anti-racist causes. Since many people argue that Martin Luther King Jr. only championed love and nonviolence, Cherry demonstrated that he in fact believed in using anger the right way, referencing the Letter from Birmingham Jail. Finally, Cherry detailed the uses of anger and how people should start to change their perspective on rage and its possibilities.