Acorn Concert Series: Sarah’s Place (Zach Bryan and Noah Kahan Tribute)
Since the brutal killing of George Floyd, millions of Americans and people in other countries have been shocked and outraged. Hundreds of protests have been held in cities large and small across America – perhaps the largest demonstrations against racism since the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. Urgent questions about inequality, racial discrimination and police violence have opened up a national dialogue.
Engage with us in faculty-driven discussion as we reflect on these recent events and social movements.
Register for the Virtual Lecture Series
Registration is not required, but it is strongly encouraged. The Zoom password is 5Kb0AC.
The Return of Black-Led Grassroots Politics
What are the structures and practices of racism in the US? How do protests, defunding police, and removing statues address inequality? What do protests accomplish?
Interview with Q&A
Thursday, September 3, 12:30-1:45 PM
Glen Ford
Executive Editor, Black Agenda Report, a leading independent black journal
Race and Wrongful Convictions
How is the criminal justice system racially biased? What practices by police and courts express and affect race inequality? What actions might challenge wrongful convictions?
Presentation with Q&A
Tuesday, October 6, 12:30-1:45 PM
Nicky Jackson, Ph.D. (Associate Professor, PNW )with Roosevelt Glen (Author and Exoneree)
Media Framing and the Politics of Racism
How do media frame police violence and protests? How do media promote politician reforms and silence black voices for systemic change? How do media represent race relations?
Presentation with Q&A
Tuesday, November 3, 12:30-1:45 PM
Lee Artz, Ph.D.
Professor of Communication, PNW
How to Talk About Race in the 21st Century
What is the global context for race? What is the connection between race and colonialism? How can we understand individual and systemic racism?
Presentation with Q&A
Monday, November 30, 2:00-3:15 PM
Kim Scipes, Ph.D.
Professor of Sociology, PNW
Series Host
Series Moderator
Series Abstracts
Kim Scipes, How to Talk About Race in the 21st Century
There is undoubtedly more confusion, more obfuscation, and more outright lying about the subject of race than any other subject in contemporary US life. To begin with, there is only one race, the human race—there is no black, brown, red, yellow, or white race. To talk about “race” coherently, we need to recognize our African heritage, and the role of colonialism and white supremacy in world history. We also need to understand its role in social control: “race” is a social construction by the economically and politically powerful, and skin color, facial structure, hair texture, the slanting of the eyes, etc., all have sociological implications that affect each of us, albeit differentially. Immigration status, too, has social implications. How do we sort all of this information out? This talk will conclude with a discussion of contemporary racial discrimination in the US, distinguishing individual from institutional racism.
Lee Artz, Media Framing and the Politics of Racism
Using objective news reporting, headlines, and images, mainstream media selectively frame events to promote dominant political policies. Relying on official sources, including leading black politicians, media marginalize or silence voices from the black majority. Multiple news reports indicate that media emphasize looting and protest anger, while avoiding the historical context and daily reality of segregation, systemic violence, and racist incarceration. Police violence appears most often as a passive unfortunate outcome of crime and disorder. Media effectively avoid challenges to institutional racism by featuring “transformative” Congressional reform and corporate PR statements of solidarity. In this framing process, viewers and readers are encouraged to believe systemic racism is being curbed, even as its fundamental features are expanded. News media indoctrinate whites, subjugate blacks