Transforming Race: Crisis and Opportunity in the Age of Obama

Posted by on February 22, 2010

Some thought the election of Barack Obama confirmed the end of race as an issue worthy of national discussion, much less policy debate. Subsequent events — Henry Louis Gates, Sonia Sotomayor, the “Birthers” phenomenon, Joe Wilson (“You lie!”), Van Jones, Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh – have proven that conclusion premature.

Of course, the challenges race presents in this moment go well beyond the high-profile incidents involving these individuals and even beyond its implication in crucial developments such as the economic recession and the debate over health care. Sadly, the old standbys of concern – residential and school racial segregation, criminal injustice, wealth inequities, immigration, and more – have hardly passed us by. At the same time, this is a new administration and a new day. With crisis comes opportunity, if only we can recognize it and muster the insight and will to see our way forward.

On March 11-13, 2010 at the fabulous Hyatt Hotel on Capitol Square, the staff of the Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity and some 600 of your fellow advocates, activists, scholars, students, spoken-word artists and other performers and practitioners of all stripes, will engage these and other pressing issues.  We’ll have roughly 50 plenary sessions and panels, workshops and performances, and plenty of challenging questions and provocative insights.

The name of the conference is Transforming Race: Crisis and Opportunity in the Age of Obama and registration is open!

We look forward to seeing you soon!

http://moritzlaw.osu.edu/kirwan/transformingrace_registration.php