In Michaelmas Term 2021 the Phelan US Centre and Department of International History are hosting a new interdisciplinary seminar series which brings together historians and political scientists to share current research on the theme of ‘Race, Gender and Politics in the US in historical and contemporary perspective'.
Given the current rise in white supremacy, sexism, police brutality, and the global Black Lives Matter movement, scholars will reflect on the longer arch of these issues historically and how their complexity shapes our present moment.
Black Women and Political Leadership in the US
26 October 2021 6:00pm to 7:30pm
The first seminar, led by Professor Nadia E. Brown (Georgetown University) and Dr. Anastasia Curwood (University of Kentucky), focuses on the issue of Black women and political leadership. It will highlight the links between figures like Shirley Chisholm, who in 1972 became the first African American woman to run as a candidate of a major party for the US presidency, and current US Vice President Kamala Harris.
More information and how to register.
The Slow Death of Sagon Penn: Police Violence in Reagan-era San Diego
9 November 2021 6:00pm to 7:30pm
In the second seminar, Dr. Adriane Lentz-Smith (Duke University) will use the case of Sagon Penn, a young black martial-arts expert who was acquitted of the murder of a white police officer in 1985, to examine police racism and violence in Reagan-era San Diego.
This event is free and open to the public with limited places, available on a first come first served basis. You will be able to register for this event from 26 October 2021.
Jim Crow 2.0: Voter Suppression in the 21st Century
9 December 2021 6:00pm to 7:30pm
The third seminar, with Professor Carol Anderson (Emory University), will reflect on the intersection of race and rights in the contemporary US. Professor Anderson will discuss the evisceration of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, voter suppression, and the resistance against this anti-democratic trend.
This event is free and open to the public with limited places, available on a first come first served basis. You will be able to register for the event at a later date.
Header image: Photo by Clay Banks on Unsplash