91ֱ�� Expands Impact Investment Platform to Help Improve World’s Troubled Regions</h1> <article> <h1>91ֱ�� Expands Impact Investment Platform to Help Improve World’s Troubled Regions</h1> <p>eburnett — Tue, 20 Aug 2024 17:24:06 +0000</p> <span>91ֱ�� Expands Impact Investment Platform to Help Improve World’s Troubled Regions</span> <span><span>eburnett</span></span> <span><time datetime="2024-08-20T13:24:06-04:00" title="Tuesday, August 20, 2024 - 13:24">Tue, 08/20/2024 - 13:24</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p> 91ֱ��’s <a href="/investment/impact-investment-platform">Impact Investment Platform</a>, created in 2013 to guide socially conscious investments of 91ֱ��’s endowment, will expand to create experiential learning opportunities for students, uniting academics and investing in ways that directly address troubled regions and vital issues worldwide.</p> <p>The Board of Trustees’ Investment Committee endorsed the plan for expansion.</p> <p>The platform, developed to promote 91ֱ��’s active engagement with a range of issues, was seeded with an initial investment of $5 million of the endowment over five years and was later expanded to a target of $70 million. The Board’s approval calls for yet another target increase in impact investing—to $100 million.</p> <p>In addition, the platform will grow to include investments pertaining to the support and redevelopment of war-torn regions. Previously, the platform’s primary focus had been limited to sectors pertaining to community development, renewable energy and climate change, and education.</p> <p>“91ֱ�� taught me to keep my eyes and mind open to the many ways we can engage with the most difficult challenges and influence the world for good,” says Board Chair Chris Canavan ’84. “People movements are what we tend to think of first. But we should also appreciate—and try to influence—money movements as well. Investing dollars can have as much impact as mobilizing people, and even amplify the impact of movements. I’m glad to see 91ֱ�� providing opportunities for us to learn how to do this better.”</p> <p>91ֱ��’s expansion of impact investing coincides with the development and growth of the Impact Investment Advisory Group, a nine-member panel made up of students, faculty, alumni, members of the Board’s Investment Committee, and Chief Investment Officer Jun Yang.</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-subhead field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Measures follow recent steps to increase student participation in socially conscious investment decisions.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2024-08-20T12:00:00Z">Tue, 08/20/2024 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Office of Communications</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2554">Board of Trustees</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=4103">Impact Investment Platform</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=4104">Impact Investment Advisory Group</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=4105">Investment Committee</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2359">Administration</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=4107">Sustainability</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2392">Social Justice</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Mike Crupi</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-flex-content field--type-entity-reference-revisions field--label-hidden vertical-spacing--basic field__items"> <div class="field__item"> <div id="obj-32150" class="paragraph paragraph--type--pb-el-bq paragraph--view-mode--default"> <blockquote class="blockquote--quotemark" data-text-color-red data-text-size-giant> <p>Impact investing is a natural fit with 91ֱ��’s mission of education and global engagement while generating necessary financial returns.” —Sean Gavin ’98, Investment Committee Chair</p> </blockquote> </div> </div> <div class="field__item"> <div id="obj-28053" class="paragraph paragraph--type--para-el-copy paragraph--view-mode--default o-flex--basic-copy basic-copy"> <p>Formed in 2022 with the goal of providing an invaluable experiential learning opportunity to 91ֱ�� students, the IIAG serves in an advisory capacity to the Investment Committee. In collaboration with the Investment Office, the IIAG designs and implements research related to impact investing, evaluates issues and trends, makes recommendations to the committee, and educates 91ֱ�� students and the community more broadly on impact investing and the endowment overall.</p> <p>The IIAG consists of four student members, known as IIAG Fellows. This summer, the Investment Committee appointed an IIAG Coordinator to guide the group’s efforts, recruit new members, develop the IIAG agenda and projects for the coming year, and serve as primary liaison to the committee. The inaugural coordinator, Iman Abdullah, is a 2024 91ֱ�� graduate who majored in Economics. She was an IIAG Fellow in 2023-24.</p> <p>A previous advisory group, the Impact Investment Platform Subcommittee, consisted primarily of members of the Investment Committee and the Board of Trustees, as well as faculty and alumni. The IIAG, by comparison, involves a greater number of students and provides rigorous opportunities to apply classroom learning to real-world challenges—and to play a key role in the future of 91ֱ��. </p> <p>“Impact investing is a natural fit with 91ֱ��’s mission of education and global engagement while generating necessary financial returns,” says Sean Gavin ’98, chair of the Investment Committee. “Engaging students in this process facilitates learning and gives agency to students in acting as a catalyst for good. The addition of a full time on-campus fellow facilitates this process and is a critical step in the realization of our vision.”</p> <p>Current 91ֱ�� students may submit applications for <a href="https://jobs.oberlin.edu/postings/15543">2024-25 IIAG Fellowships</a> through August 31. Applicants are required to have completed their first year of 91ֱ�� studies, and all majors are welcome. This year’s fellows will be announced in mid-September.</p> </div> </div> </div> </article> <article> <h1>Voice of Experience</h1> <p>tapplega — Tue, 27 Jun 2023 16:48:03 +0000</p> <span>Voice of Experience</span> <span><span>tapplega</span></span> <span><time datetime="2023-06-27T12:48:03-04:00" title="Tuesday, June 27, 2023 - 12:48">Tue, 06/27/2023 - 12:48</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Véronique Harris ’23 chose to attend 91ֱ�� because of its history of progressive firsts and its deeply ingrained commitment to activism. During her time on campus, she deepened her own commitment to social justice and public service with a double major in <a href="/node/3431">Africana studies</a> and <a href="/node/3396">law and society</a>. </p> <p>Harris’ lifelong interest in public-service law has culminated in her receiving the prestigious <a href="https://www.thegatesscholarship.org/scholarship">William H. Gates Public Service Law Scholarship</a>. Named for the former prominent attorney, philanthropist, and father of Microsoft founder Bill Gates, the scholarship covers all expenses to the University of Washington School of Law and includes guaranteed internships for each recipient. In accepting the award, Harris has committed to working in public service for at least five years following graduation—a commitment that paves the way for her planned career as a civil rights attorney. </p> <p>“I have a lifetime of experiences that built up to this moment,” she says. “I have known that I wanted to be a lawyer since I was 14.” </p> <p>Raised in a suburb of Seattle, Harris was exposed to systemic racism and structural inequality from a young age. “I come from a family of blue-collar Black, white, and Filipino laborers,” she says. “My family is a microcosm of society’s failure to address the basic needs of BIPOC and working-class people; I grew up witnessing the impacts of these systemic failures daily.” </p> <p>Her father, a dedicated factory worker who was committed to providing for his family, was exposed to toxic chemicals in the workplace for decades. As a result, he developed an occupational lung disease, and his preexisting heart condition worsened. </p> <p>“I learned about the intersection of race, class, education—or lack thereof—as well as environmental racism and health disparities, and felt called to fight them at a young age,” Harris says.</p> <p>In high school, she devoted time volunteering, protesting, and grassroots organizing with groups such as the <a href="https://www.aclu-wa.org/">American Civil Liberties Union of Washington</a> and a local community youth council. While attending 91ֱ��, she ran a successful social media campaign and petition that resulted in her former high school replacing its Confederate rebel mascot. “Parents and students alike thanked me for my perseverance, expressing that the mascot change would promote a safe and inclusive learning environment for students of color,” she says.</p> <p>Deeply affected by the death of 16-year-old Ma’Khia Bryant at the hands of Columbus, Ohio, police, Harris raised more than $2,000 to assemble and distribute self-defense kits for Black women and femmes throughout the state. “I used the slogan ‘We protect us’ for the self-defense kit distribution because Black Americans cannot rely on police protection within a structurally racist system,” she says. Also at 91ֱ��, she was a member of <a href="https://oberlinstudentsforafreepalestine.wordpress.com/">Students for a Free Palestine</a>. The club’s work, and her experiences with lawyers fighting for Palestinian human rights, further fueled her desire for a career in public-service law.</p> <p>Today, Harris is more determined than ever to dismantle systemic racism and address socio-environmental challenges. After law school, she hopes to work in the NAACP’s Environment and Climate Justice Division or another nonprofit that supports her advocacy of decolonial frameworks to counter environmental racism. </p> <p>She credits her 91ֱ�� professors—including <a href="/node/4981">Charles Peterson</a> in Africana studies, <a href="/node/4931">Joyce Babyak</a> in religion, and <a href="/node/384671">Amanda Zadorian</a> in politics—for shaping her academic life and her career aspirations through their formal guidance and teaching, as well as through regular chats about current events during office hours.</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-subhead field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Véronique Harris grew up a witness to inequality. Now she’s dedicating her life to eradicating it through a career in public-service law.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2023-06-27T12:00:00Z">Tue, 06/27/2023 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Tyler Applegate</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2409">Scholarships</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2373">Awards and Honors</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2392">Social Justice</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=3897">Internship</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-programs field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=4821">Africana Studies</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25396">Law and Society</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-faculty field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/charles-peterson" hreflang="und">Charles Peterson</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/joyce-babyak" hreflang="und">Joyce Kloc Babyak</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/amanda-zadorian" hreflang="und">Amanda Zadorian</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-departments field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/africana-studies" hreflang="und">Africana Studies</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/law-and-society" hreflang="und">Law and Society</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">courtesy of Véronique Harris</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-flex-content field--type-entity-reference-revisions field--label-hidden vertical-spacing--basic field__items"> <div class="field__item"> <div id="obj-32094" class="paragraph paragraph--type--pb-el-bq paragraph--view-mode--default"> <blockquote class="blockquote--quotemark" data-text-color-red data-text-size-giant> <p>I am so very grateful for all of these wonderful professors. They have truly impacted my life in more ways than they know.”</p> </blockquote> </div> </div> <div class="field__item"> <div id="obj-27741" class="paragraph paragraph--type--para-el-copy paragraph--view-mode--default o-flex--basic-copy basic-copy"> <p>Harris praises Babyak, who also chairs 91ֱ��’s law and society program, in particular. “She helped me create a plan for studying for the LSAT, sponsored my <a href="/winter-term">Winter Term</a> projects, wrote many recommendations, and encouraged me throughout the law school application process.” </p> <p>As Harris embarks on her journey in public-service law, she carries with her the experiences and lessons from her young life. </p> <p>“I eventually would like my career to have an international reach,” she says. “I am very pleased that through the Gates Scholarship, I will have the ability to complete internships in the summers of my first and second years, so that I can see how different organizations are doing this work and how I can be of most use to the cause in the future.”</p> </div> </div> </div> </article> <article> <h1>Summer of Justice</h1> <p>anagy — Fri, 26 May 2023 15:57:30 +0000</p> <span>Summer of Justice</span> <span><span>anagy</span></span> <span><time datetime="2023-05-26T11:57:30-04:00" title="Friday, May 26, 2023 - 11:57">Fri, 05/26/2023 - 11:57</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Darius Butler will devote four weeks this summer traveling between Washington, D.C.; Cape Town, South Africa; and Dublin, Ireland, to learn from the legacies of social justice giants who made global footprints. Now completing his third year at 91ֱ��, Butler is one of 12 U.S. college students selected to take part in the <a href="https://apnews.com/press-release/pr-newswire/colleges-and-universities-pr-newswire-b05008b7606183cac68b178365825993">Frederick Douglass Global Fellowship</a>.</p> <p>“To be selected as a Frederick Douglass Global Fellow is an incredible honor and something I am blessed to be a part of,” says Butler, originally from Lewis Center, Ohio, near Columbus. “Ultimately, this fellowship will help me heighten my sense of how to advance effective and tangible social change within my community.”</p> <p>The fellowship, co-sponsored by the government of Ireland, recognizes the <a href="https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/when-emancipated-slave-frederick-douglass-met-daniel-o-connell-in-dublin-1.4685990">historic convening</a> of abolitionists Frederick Douglass of the U.S. and Daniel O’Connell of Ireland in 1845. Their meeting was a notable marker for international solidarity between movements and fueled a practice of education and exchange between movement leaders that continues today. Douglass Fellows will examine the impact of the Emancipation Proclamation in the U.S. and the anti-apartheid movement in South Africa. </p> <p>Butler, an <a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/africana-studies">Africana studies</a> and <a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/law-and-society">law and society</a> double major, is driven by his desire to make an impact in the lives of others. In his first three years on campus, he has assumed leadership roles in the <a href="/ahh">Lord-Saunders Afrikan Heritage House</a>, <a href="/religious-and-spiritual-life/communities">Voices for Christ</a>, and the <a href="/arts-and-sciences/resources-and-support/wap">Writing Center</a>. Away from campus, he led an annual toy drive for local children in collaboration with Mt. Zion Baptist Church. He has supported advocacy efforts as a legal intern for Columbus judge <a href="https://municipalcourt.franklincountyohio.gov/Judiciary/Judges/Judges-List/Stephanie-Mingo">Stephanie Mingo</a> and as a racial justice research fellow with the advocacy nonprofit <a href="https://www.asyousow.org/">As You Sow</a>. He plans to attend law school, continuing his passion for advancing racial equity through legal advocacy in the nonprofit sector.</p> <p>“The need for Black representation in the legal profession in the U.S. is imperative, because Black people have a lifetime of experience and perspective on what it’s like to be systematically excluded and discriminated against by institutional systems and structures,” says Butler. </p> <p>He credits 91ֱ��’s Africana Studies Department for supporting his growth as a scholar and advocate, and he is particularly grateful for the mentorship of professors Candice Raynor, <a href="/charles-peterson">Charles Peterson</a>, and <a href="/yveline-alexis">Yveline Alexis</a>—just a few of the many faculty and staff advocates he has leaned on during his time on campus. Their support, he says, is critical to his success thus far and in shaping his perspectives and ambitions moving forward. His appreciation for their leadership reflects his admiration of historical organizers, journalists, and movement leaders—figures such as James Baldwin, Ida B. Wells, Angela Davis, and Fred Hampton—whom he has long viewed as titans in the quest for racial justice. </p> <p>Butler is especially moved by the life and legacy of Hampton, the late civil rights activist who was a leader of the Black Panther Party and founder of the Rainbow Coalition before being killed in 1969. “I’m in awe when I listen to his speeches or interviews because of the power of his words,” he says. “The fact that he was the same age as me, yet could do such remarkable and impactful work, is incredible.” </p> <p>Butler’s fellowship will include opportunities to learn from human rights leaders of today. One of them is Mpho Tutu van Furth, an Anglican priest and activist who is the daughter of the late Bishop Desmond Tutu. </p> <p>“This will be my first time traveling outside the U.S.,” he says, “and I know the knowledge and relationships I will build during my time in Ireland and South Africa will last for a lifetime.”</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-subhead field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Darius Butler explores human rights across three continents through a Frederick Douglass Global Fellowship.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2023-05-26T12:00:00Z">Fri, 05/26/2023 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Henry Hicks IV</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2373">Awards and Honors</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2363">Academics & Research</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2392">Social Justice</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=3846">Engaged Liberal Arts</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-programs field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=4821">Africana Studies</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25396">Law and Society</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-departments field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/africana-studies" hreflang="und">Africana Studies</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/law-and-society" hreflang="und">Law and Society</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-caption field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item">Rising senior Darius Butler is one of 12 students in the United States selected to participate the in Frederick Douglass Global Fellowship.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Jacob Strauss</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> </article> <article> <h1>Students Lead Reproductive Justice Symposium March 10-11</h1> <p>anagy — Thu, 09 Mar 2023 20:29:11 +0000</p> <span>Students Lead Reproductive Justice Symposium March 10-11</span> <span><span>anagy</span></span> <span><time datetime="2023-03-09T15:29:11-05:00" title="Thursday, March 9, 2023 - 15:29">Thu, 03/09/2023 - 15:29</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Visiting scholars and 91ֱ�� student researchers will generate discussions on reproductive health and justice in the post-Roe era during a symposium hosted by the <a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/gsfs">Gender, Sexuality, and Feminist Studies</a> (GSFS) Department on March 10 and 11. </p> <p>The symposium follows GSFS programming that has included two course modules exploring the recent overturn of Roe v. Wade. The campus community has an opportunity to attend a series of workshops led by invited experts whose work addresses sexual and reproductive health and justice from a variety of multidisciplinary perspectives. </p> <p>On Friday, March 10, students will present individual and group research projects from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the <a href="/center-engaged-liberal-arts">Center for Engaged Liberal Arts</a> (A-level of Mudd Center). The exhibits will highlight research and creative work that centers on reproductive justice. From 4:30 to 6:30 p.m., symposium experts will participate in a roundtable discussion in Craig Lecture Hall. </p> <p>On Saturday, March 11, students can choose from seven different pop-up classes that cover a range of topics. Based on seating and demand, <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1PKwR9Q1CqZ66UnsDf9ExmaZ9uco47YmCatY6_CM9ydc/edit">participants may sign up</a> for more than one class. The deadline to sign up is March 10. All classes will be held in CELA.</p> <p>Beginning at 10 a.m., Ash Williams will lead “Increasing Abortion Access 101.” A reproductive justice organizer, Williams advocates for abortion access by funding abortions and training abortion doulas.</p> <p>Three concurrent workshops will be offered at 11 a.m.:</p> <ul> <li>Chris Barcelos will lead “Mobilizing Coalitional Politics to Fight Back Against Banning Abortion, Criminalizing Trans Healthcare, and Maintaining White Supremacy.” The workshop will help participants to make connections between the Dobbs decision, anti-trans legislation, and bans on critical race theory in schools. Barcelos is Assistant Professor of Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at the University of Massachusetts Boston and the author of Distributing Condoms and Hope: The Racialized Politics of Sexual Health.<br> </li> <li><a href="/news/sparking-interest-sexual-health-education">Tory Sparks ’17</a> will ask “What is the role of sex education post-Dobbs?” and will cover the basics of the career path to becoming a professional sex educator. Sparks is a Michigan-based independent sex educator, facilitator, consultant, and trainer, and a student at Widener University in the dual degree MSW/ MEd in Human Sexuality Program.<br> </li> <li>From the <a href="/mrc">Multicultural Resource Commons</a>, staff members Katie Graham and NiK Peavy will teach “Parenting with Pride: An Unconventional Guide to Having Children.” The workshop will explore the ways in which different family structures can be formed, such as queer or otherwise “unconventional” ways to become parents, the inequities that may come with the process, and how to navigate them. </li> </ul> <p>Three workshops will be held from 1:30 to 3 p.m.:</p> <ul> <li>“So you want to be an advocate?” Led by Jordyn Close and Anastasia (Ana) Martinez, the class will cover different kinds of advocacy. Close is deputy director with Ohio Women's Alliance (OWA) and board president of Abortion Fund Of Ohio, Ohio’s only statewide abortion fund, providing practical support across the Midwest. Martinez is senior campaign manager for OWA.<br> </li> <li>91ֱ�� Doula Collective and the Reproductive Justice Alliance present “Understanding Abortion Doula Work: History and Reproductive Justice.” The 91ֱ�� Doula Collective is a student, community, and volunteer-run organization based in 91ֱ�� (not affiliated with 91ֱ�� College). The group is dedicated to providing free and compassionate support to people who are terminating their pregnancies.<br> </li> <li>Margaret Velto ’22, an outreach coordinator for the Kentucky Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice, will lead “Not All Religions: An Interfaith Lens on Reproductive Justice.” Velto will discuss how different faith traditions, including Christianity, protect and support access to choice and freedom of decisions.</li> </ul></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2023-03-09T12:00:00Z">Thu, 03/09/2023 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Amanda Nagy</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2363">Academics & Research</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2390">Events</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2377">Arts & Humanities</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2413">Social Sciences</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2392">Social Justice</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-programs field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25361">Gender, Sexuality, and Feminist Studies</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-departments field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/gsfs" hreflang="und">Gender, Sexuality, and Feminist Studies</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-caption field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item">The Gender, Sexuality, and Feminist Studies department is hosting a reproductive justice symposium March 10-11.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Alice Koeninger</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> </article> <article> <h1>91ֱ�� Holds Teach-in on the George Floyd Uprising</h1> <p>hhempste — Wed, 17 Jun 2020 14:12:38 +0000</p> <span>91ֱ�� Holds Teach-in on the George Floyd Uprising</span> <span><span>hhempste</span></span> <span><time datetime="2020-06-17T10:12:38-04:00" title="Wednesday, June 17, 2020 - 10:12">Wed, 06/17/2020 - 10:12</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Moderated by <a href="/gina-perez">Gina Perez</a>, professor of comparative American studies, the cross-departmental discussion was prompted by the killing of George Floyd on May 25, 2020, and the subsequent social uprising. </p> <p>The hour-long panel session included presentations by six faculty members and served as a space for faculty to share their perspectives and insights about the recent events, along with information and context for understanding the history of white supremacy in the United States, as well as the ongoing calls for justice that are currently taking place across the country. Through their presentations, the panelists demonstrated that systems of racial and social control are actually nothing new in the United States. </p> <p>In individual talks, both <a href="/matthew-rarey">Matthew Rarey</a>, assistant professor of art history, and <a href="/charles-peterson">Charles Peterson</a>, associate professor of Africana studies, examined the media’s framing of the events in recent weeks. </p> <p>Using historical photographs, paintings, and images from today, Rarey challenged viewers to resist the urge to classify images from the protests as “depictions of baseless black anger,” explaining that, “Actions by black protesters and artists are often, if not always, occurring in the context of deep histories of colonial violence, directed at specific locations and memories.” </p> <p>Peterson examined the concept of “militant black action” and explained that, in most cases, certain types of civil disobedience have been interwoven with militant action. “I encourage you to not fall into the idea that it’s a sign of a lack of control or is a complete contradiction to how African peoples have been fighting for their freedom for the past 400 years,” he said. </p> <p>Both <a href="/renee-romano">Renee Romano</a>, professor of history, comparative American studies, and Africana studies, and <a href="/jenny-garcia">Jenny Garcia</a>, assistant professor of politics and comparative American studies, each see the possibility for sustained change as a result of the recent events. </p> <p>Romano said that the current events feel historically familiar, but the movement also feels new and disruptive. She cited a recent striking shift in attitudes, explaining that the number of Americans who say that racism and discrimination is a big problem in the U.S. is up 26 points since 2015. “It feels like this could be a historical moment,” she says. “This is everyone’s fight for justice and a truly democratic country.” </p> <p>Garcia explained that she sees possibilities for real change, citing research that examines how emotions, particularly anger, are important when it comes to participating in politics. Garcia said that political research has shown that when there are greater levels of anger among black individuals, it translates into greater political protests and demonstrations, similar to what we’re seeing now. </p> <p>Assistant Professor of Politics <a href="/david-forrest">David Forrest</a> offered a glimpse into Floyd’s home town of Minneapolis and the city’s widespread efforts during the last 30 years to gentrify low-income neighborhoods. He also gave an overview of the city’s collective organizers who have helped bring about recent social change. </p> <p><a href="/justin-emeka">Justin Emeka</a>, associate professor of theater and Africana studies, closed the presentations by reminding the 91ֱ�� community that they are part of a legacy—91ֱ�� has essentially been part of the Black Lives Matter movement since the 19th century. He suggested that if individuals want to contribute to social change, there are some steps they should take, including studying the history of black people, examining policies for fairness, and investing in changing hearts and minds. </p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2020-06-16T12:00:00Z">Tue, 06/16/2020 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Communications Staff</div> <div class="text-content field field--name-field-intro-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Individuals in the 91ֱ�� College community joined the virtual presentation of “After Minneapolis: A Teach-In on the George Floyd Uprising,” led by 91ֱ�� faculty members on June 9, 2020.</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2385">Community</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2392">Social Justice</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2414">Faculty</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2363">Academics & Research</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2390">Events</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-programs field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25301">Art History</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25416">Politics</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25311">Comparative American Studies</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25381">History</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=4821">Africana Studies</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25441">Theater</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-faculty field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/justin-emeka" hreflang="und">Justin Emeka ’95</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/david-forrest" hreflang="und">David Forrest</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/jenny-garcia" hreflang="und">Jenny Garcia</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/charles-peterson" hreflang="und">Charles Peterson</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/matthew-rarey" hreflang="und">Matthew Rarey</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/gina-perez" hreflang="und">Gina Pérez</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-departments field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/politics" hreflang="und">Politics</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/africana-studies" hreflang="und">Africana Studies</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/theater" hreflang="und">Theater</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/comparative-american-studies" hreflang="und">Comparative American Studies</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/art" hreflang="und">Studio Art</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/history" hreflang="und">History</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-flex-content field--type-entity-reference-revisions field--label-hidden vertical-spacing--basic field__items"> <div class="field__item"> <div id class="o-flex--video-embed"> <h2>Watch the Teach-In</h2> <div class="video-embed-field-provider-vimeo video-embed-field-responsive-video"> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field__item"> <div id="obj-27202" class="paragraph paragraph--type--para-el-copy paragraph--view-mode--default o-flex--basic-copy basic-copy"> <h3>Transcript</h3> <p><span style="font-size: 1.25rem;">The following transcript has been edited for length and clarity by the participants.</span></p> <details><summary>View transcript</summary> <p><strong>Gina Perez:</strong> So, good afternoon everyone and thank you for joining us for this important conversation titled “After Minneapolis: A Teach-in on the George Floyd Uprising”.</p> <p>My name is Gina Perez, and I am professor and interim chair of the department of comparative American studies here at 91ֱ��. And it’s truly an honor to be here and to be your discussant this afternoon for what I know will be a thoughtful and thought-provoking discussion with six of our distinguished faculty.</p> <p>The grim reality of the recent police killing of George Floyd is sadly what brings us here together today. And our goals with this teach-in are to provide a space for faculty to share their perspectives and insights about the recent events, as well as other important information and contexts for understanding the history of white supremacy in the United States, as well as the ongoing demands for justice that are taking place across the country today.</p> <p>All of our panelists comments today will demonstrate that systems of racial and social control are not new to this country. And while recent protests and organizing and responses reflect the incredible rage and frustration and anger that many of us feel, this moment is also an invitation to recognize what my colleague Professor Meredith Gadsby reminded me of this morning, which is Audre Lorde’s important insights about the restorative power of anger.</p> <p>It is this restorative power of anger that I would argue informs not only the work that we do and come together with you to share with all of you today, but it also informs the sentiment shared by civil rights attorney and legal scholar Michelle Alexander, who recently observed on her reflections of the past two weeks that, “Our only hope for our collective liberation is a politics of deep solidarity rooted in love.” So, it is this restorative, righteous anger as well as hope that guide our conversations today.</p> <p>I will begin by introducing each the speakers in the order of their appearance.</p> <p>We will begin with Professor Matthew Rarey, who is an assistant professor of art history. He teaches and researches African and Black Atlantic visual culture and representations of enslavement from the 17th century through the present.</p> <p>Professor Charles Peterson is associate professor of Africana studies. His research in teaching interests include Africana philosophy, film, and Africana political and cultural theory.</p> <p>Professor Renee Romano is the Robert S. Danforth professor of history and professor of comparative American studies and Africana studies. She writes and teaches about white supremacy, racial violence, and the legacies of long-standing historical injustice.</p> <p>Professor David Forrest is assistant professor in the politics department. He studies social movements and the politics of inequality in the United States.</p> <p>Professor Jennifer Garcia is an assistant professor of politics and comparative American studies. Her research and teaching focus on American political institutions and race and ethnic politics.</p> <p>And Professor Justin Emeka is associate professor of Africana studies in theater. He is a director, writer, and actor in Capoeirista who teaches courses in directing and writing here at 91ֱ��.</p> <p><strong>Matthew Rarey:</strong> Thank you everyone for the invitation to speak, and for allowing me to share some thoughts on the images of the protests in the wake of George Floyd’s murder.</p> <p>In a photograph taken on the night of May 27th, a participant in the uprising playfully poses in front of a burning AutoZone in Minneapolis. In the ensuing days, this image and others making use of the stark contrast of dark night skies, black skin, and burning buildings, proliferated in social and mainstream media where they documented the smoldering awesomeness of Black rage.</p> <p>Three days after this photo was taken, activist Tamika Mallory castigated white Americans for their perceptions of the protests as unprecedented or unrestrained. “America has looted Black people,” she said. “America looted the Native Americans when they first came here. Looting is what you do. We learned it from you. We learned violence from you, and if you want us to do better, then, dammit, you do better.”</p> <p>I want to build on Mallory’s point through the work of bell hooks, Christina Sharpe, Simone Browne, Krista Thompson, and other Black visual theorists who tell us that the work of dismantling white supremacy can’t be disentangled from the work of interrogating the proliferation of the media meant to serve it.</p> <p>Images remain crucial to the project of erasing explicit antiblack violence. This painting from 1655 depicts at lower right a group of enslaved Africans in northeastern Brazil [<a href="https://collections.lacma.org/node/209115">Brazilian Landscape with a Worker’s House by Frans Post</a>]. Framed against a pastoral background, the artist’s emphasis on the Africans’ docility and merriment makes it seem as if their labor is natural, even beautiful. In so doing, this image obscures the violence committed by white slavers and erases indigenous claims to the land and its care. I submit that this is actually an image of explicit antiblack violence precisely because it does not appear to be as such.</p> <p>Yet Black people in this hemisphere have long strategically and artistically protested these forms of violent erasure. Between 1957 and 1972, a section of Interstate 10 was constructed above Claiborne Avenue in New Orleans, which was then the oldest Black main streets in the country. Despite residents’ objections, the government bulldozed 500 homes and closed many businesses, destroying the community’s lifeblood. A major economic slump followed in the area, which in turn led to increased policing of Black residents who had stayed. Jobs and social services disappeared, too. But each year on St. Joseph’s night, New Orleans’ Black Mardi Gras Indians march up and down this section of Claiborne Avenue, their music and song echoes under the highway. This sequined, feathered form of reclamation was particularly strong in 2018, when the Creole Osceola tribe presented striking images of U.S. national symbols on their suits while defiantly stopping traffic on the avenue.</p> <p>Over the coming months, experience tells us that white supremacists’ ideologies will find a way to weaponize the stark and fiery images of so-termed “property destruction” that resulted from protests. Indeed, they always have.</p> <p>This engraving [<a href="https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Revolte-des-Negres-a-Saint-Domingue_fig2_343658053">Révolte des Négres à St. Domingue by G. Jacowick</a>] from 1796 depicts the early stages of the African revolt against the white planter regime in what is now Haiti. The cacophony of bodies and plumes of smoke served to confirm upper class French viewers’ perception of Blackness as inherently unrestrained in the absence of white surveillance. But the engraver lies to himself: those hills in the background look far less like than the Haitian landscape then like piles of refined sugar, themselves the products of enslaved laborers. In the words of activist L.S. Pearce: “So when I hear people complain about the riots… or rather, the REVOLT… I hear people crying, ‘But why would you burn down your own plantation?’” </p> <p>White violence so often manifests as banal and quotidian. We must be ready to call out the centuries of narratives carefully constructed by those in power, which urge us to interpret images like that with which I began as depictions of apolitical, generic, and baseless Black anger. Resist that urge, because actions by Black protestors and Black artists occur in the context of long, location-specific histories of colonial violence. Look carefully, listen intently, and continue to fight against the invisibility of violence on which we all live.</p> <p><strong>Charles Peterson:</strong> Good afternoon everyone. Thank you for this opportunity and I’m proud and pleased to be here.</p> <p>I want to pick up in a certain way on Professor Rarey’s point about the question about, in quotes, “violence,” and I want to think about the ways in which the events of the past week and a half have been framed by the media, the questions of violence, or what’s happening in the streets, or the destruction of property. And I also want to think about it briefly in terms of what I think about as a misuse of Martin Luther King Jr. There’s this media desire to show some image of a building burning and then quote King, as if King would, from his resting place look down in shame and disappointment at contemporary Black activists. Certainly, King was not an advocate of what we would call violence, but he certainly was an advocate of direct action, or civil disobedience. The media would have us believe that King did not believe in some sort of social disruption, and that’s not the case. So, in that sense, I think the activists today are in line with him.</p> <p>But I want to speak and think about how this thing we call violence, or militant black action, is a very real, and a very long and enduring part of the struggle of African-descended peoples within the United States. And much of it is grounded in an understanding of the implacability of white supremacy, and the implacability of those institutions, and the failure of those institutions, say post-Civil War, post-Reconstruction, that were unwilling to deliver upon the promises of freedom. We can look at the earliest rebellions in the 17th century. We can think about the rebellions in the 18th century we can think about, what I believe, arguably, the first theorist of militant action David Walker, and his writings in 1827.</p> <p>We also have someone I’m studying now, Ida B. Wells, who advocated for self-defense in the face of lynching. We certainly have to take very seriously within the Civil Rights movement not just the Black Panther Party, which most people know about, but we also have to think about the Deacons for Justice, a militant self-defense group in Louisiana. And I think most notably, and unheralded, Robert Williams of Monroe, North Carolina who, as a member of the NAACP, armed and organized his followers.</p> <p>So that’s an important point but what we have to realize is that these instances are assertions of an idea about Black humanity, which is going unrecognized by white supremacists’ violence. So, David Walker argues Black humanity in light of a Christian-based belief. Africans are the children of God, and inherently should be granted certain respect. Ida B. Wells is attempting to reclaim and fight for—literally fight for—the rights guaranteed by the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments to the Constitution. And El-Hajj Malik el-Shabazz, better known as Malcolm X, in his articulations for Black self-defense, stood upon the ground of the fundamental human rights that Black people have. And these are human rights as understood and established in the post WWII period with the rise of the United Nations and its various doctrines. So, it’s important to understand that in most cases certain types of civil disobedience have been aligned with and interwoven with, complementary to, militant action, or what we call armed aspects or militant struggle. This is important in terms of understanding how the media will frame this. How you hear certain political thinkers or politicians frame this. And I think it’s important going forward to understand that is a tool in the traditional toolbox of Black activists. That this is something that I would not be surprised if it moved in certain conditions. Understand that this is part of a tradition. There very disciplined, very specific actions that can take place, but I encourage you not to fall into the idea that these are people wilding in the streets. Or this is a sign of lack of control. Or this is some sort of action that is in complete contradiction to the ways in which African peoples in the United States have been fighting for their freedom over the past 400 years.</p> <p><strong>Renee Romano:</strong> Thank you.</p> <p>The events of these past two weeks have felt to me distressingly familiar: another chapter of the nation’s very long history of white supremacy and racial violence. But the protests and demonstrations around the country, the incredible leadership and work by young people of color in demanding systematic change, and the impact these demands are already having, feels to me somewhat new and different. So, in my brief comments I want to try to put both the familiar and what feels new in historical context.</p> <p>George Floyd’s murder is further reminder that this country has never grappled with or effectively addressed this centrality of racism, white supremacy, and antiblackness in its history. We have never effectively undermined or fully displaced the ideologies of racial difference or the stereotypes of Black criminology that developed as a result of the history of slavery.</p> <p>Those ideologies still shape our political systems, our institutions, attitudes of both implicit and explicit bias. We have never offered meaningful reparations or economic compensation for slavery or Jim Crow, and instead, over and over again we have seen policies and practices that protect and augment the privileged economic position of whites.</p> <p>When I see the video of Derek Chauvin looking straight into the camera while in the act of murdering George Floyd, I think of lynching photographs where crowds of white people stand looking into a camera, with a Black body hanging in the background. They could look straight into a camera because they had no fear they would be held legally accountable for their actions. They knew that in the United States there was widespread acceptance of racial violence to construct, maintain, and uphold white supremacy,</p> <p>Yet this history has long been ignored, denied, and obscured by white people in the United States. And historically this denial, this unwillingness of white Americans to acknowledge and recognize the depth and extent or systematic racism and racial violence has been one of the key ways in which white supremacy has been upheld and maintained.</p> <p>In his 1963 masterpiece The Fire Next Time, James Baldwin despaired of whites’ unwillingness to recognize the reality of racism in America. White people, he wrote, “have destroyed and are destroying hundreds of thousands of lives and do not know it, and do not want to know it.” This willful ignorance has only gotten worse in the years since the Civil Rights movement, as the nation embraced a mythology of racial progress that portrayed civil rights laws as rooting racism out of public life.</p> <p>So, when I look at what is happening in the country today, I see familiar patterns of violence, but I also see a disruption of the capacity of people to remain ignorant and to deny the reality of systemic racism. In the past few weeks there’ve been protests in nearly every American state, in cities, small towns, suburbs, and rural areas. The number of Americans who say racism and discrimination is a big problem in the United States is up 26 points since 2015. The Washington Post reported that over two-thirds of Americans believe George Floyd’s killing reflects broader problems in policing. After the killing of Michael Brown in 2014, two-thirds of whites insisted that his killing had nothing to do with race. And we’re not just seeing a change in polls but momentum for political positions that until now had rarely been discussed in the mainstream, like the defunding of the police.</p> <p>These changes are due to the incredible activism of the contemporary Black freedom struggle and especially the Black Lives Matter movement, which has been fighting to bring attention to systemic racism and to force Americans to reckon with the nation’s history of racial violence. It is due to their work that more Americans today are facing up to the existence and persistence of systemic racism and beginning to take action to change things.</p> <p>So, it feels to me this could be a historical moment, and I urge you all to be part of this history and not to just watch it from the sidelines. Get involved in whatever way you can, because this is everyone’s fight for justice and for a truly democratic country.</p> <p><strong>GP: </strong>Next is David Forrest.</p> <p><strong>David Forrest:</strong> What happened in Minneapolis on the evening of May 25th was nothing new. For the last 30 years, officers like Derek Chauvin have acted as the foot soldiers in an elite-driven, city-wide effort to gentrify neighborhoods like Powderhorn Park, the historically diverse and low-income neighborhood where George Floyd was killed. A study in 2015 showed that Minneapolis PD aggressively targets these neighborhoods, using low level offenses as a pretense to detain Black youths, homeless people, and other allegedly suspect individuals. The killing of George Floyd was but an extreme instance of this more general pattern.</p> <p>But if what happened to Floyd was nothing new, what was new was the response that followed. The uprising that has followed Floyd’s death is the biggest that Minneapolis has seen since at least 1967, when young African Americans in north Minneapolis rebelled against the continued marginalization of their communities by demonstrating and by burning several properties. What’s more, today’s uprising has drawn in a much larger and more diverse group of residents. And it has already provoked an unprecedented response from local officials.</p> <p>When moments like this happen, moments that mark a potential sea change in the politics of the city, it’s important to step back and ask how they happened. In particular, it’s important to ask how ordinary people helped to bring them about. Because contained within the answer to that question are some general lessons about how to affect substantial bottom-up change in American politics.</p> <p>In this particular case, if you look beyond the headlines, you’ll find that since the Great Recession, a growing collective of organizers have really broadened and radicalized progressive politics in Minneapolis.</p> <p>These organizers have helped to dismantle popular acquiescence to the city’s increasingly unequal and highly racialized political economy. They have developed a large and a diverse community of activists who possess the capacity to break rules and build majorities in support of egalitarian change.</p> <p>By the time of Floyd’s death, this community of activists were already among the nation’s most engaged participants in protests against police brutality and other inegalitarian practices, such as exclusionary zoning, eviction, and wage theft. They also helped to elect and influence a new cohort of local officials, who have further stoked popular opposition to the status quo. People like city council members Steve Fletcher and Jeremiah Ellison, themselves former organizers, have led successful charges to eliminate single-family zoning, create inclusionary zoning, increase subsidies for affordable housing development, provide free legal assistance to renters, mandate paid sick leave, and most recently, begin the process of redesigning institutions of public safety.</p> <p>On their own, these localized reforms are not enough to reverse growing and racialized inequality or to save lives like George Floyd’s. They do, however, further legitimate the aspirations for a better world witnessed in the events like the George Floyd uprising.</p> <p>To be clear, I am not trying to suggest that organizers are solely responsible for Minneapolis’s recent political shifts. A series of social crises have also played a major role. But organizers have accelerated and channeled the popular displeasure unleashed by these various crises.</p> <p>How did they do it?</p> <p>First, they have learned how to embrace and defend abolitionist demands, including, for example, demands for divestment from the police, or for the expansion of public housing. These demands outline far-reaching but realistic paths towards abolishing mass incarceration, gentrification, and other oppressive systems. They raise people’s expectations for a better world and push against ideologies that make these expectations seem ridiculous or unworkable.</p> <p>Second, many organizers in Minneapolis have coached themselves to deploy instructive rhetoric, which clearly describes and politicizes the systems targeted by abolitionist demands. This rhetoric works not by shaming or guilting regular people but by educating them. It redresses public ignorance about social arrangements holding down large numbers of individuals and clarifies the moral justification for dismantling these arrangements.</p> <p>Finally, and perhaps most importantly, they’ve embraced a commitment to grassroots mobilization. That is to the recruitment of a large majoritarian base, rather than a smaller group of already committed or professional activists. Over the long haul, this approach to mobilization both makes their efforts more democratic and lays a clear path to forging winnable conflicts around their demands.</p> <p><strong>GP:</strong> Thank you Professor Forrest. We’ll now turn to Professor Jennifer Garcia.</p> <p><strong>Jennifer Garcia:</strong> I study race and ethnic politics and American political institutions, which generally means a bulk of my time is focused on trying to figure out how to dismantle systematic biases and racism within these institutions. Thinking through that lens and about what’s happening today, I see some opportunities of change that could actually materialize.</p> <p>I’m going to talk about anger and the role that anger plays in the political mobilization and political participation in kind of a different way than it’s been talked about thus far. </p> <p>There’s new work in political science that shows that emotions, in particular anger, are incredibly important when it comes to participating in politics. However, how Black and white Americans’ anger influences their participation varies. We know, first of all, that white Democrats tend to report greater anger at the political process and the political opposition then Black Americans. Black Americans tend to report more resignation. And what we end up seeing is that when we have greater levels of political anger among white Americans, this tends to translate into greater voter turnout. In contrast, under certain circumstances when Black anger is evoked, it produces more participation in political protests and demonstrations–like what we’re seeing right now.</p> <p>What [University of California, Irvine assistant professor of political science] Davin Phoenix has showed is that under particular conditions—when we see police violence occurring, when we have Black political activists that are successful at encouraging African Americans to express their anger and not push it aside and not have to stay within the constraints of not being “angry while Black,” but being able to exert their anger and use it towards political purposes—we see Black participation actually increase in great amounts. The question really becomes, how do we then take this really strong and important momentum that we’re seeing happening all across the country and translate it into sustained mobilization, mobilization that actually has the possibility to change these kinds of outcomes that we’re seeing? And I think we have a few reasons for optimism.</p> <p>First is that, among African Americans and whites, from age 30 and younger, the anger gap is insignificant. And what we’re hoping this means is that there will be less disparities in political participation between Blacks and whites.</p> <p>Second, new technologies continue to provide images of police brutality and racism directly to the people and Trump et al. continues to invoke racial animus. This has the potential to help sustain political mobilization by, at least in part, continuing to fuel anger. And there are skilled Black political activists trying to catalyze this and use it to push forward a political momentum.</p> <p>As a result, I think that there are some good opportunities for actually placing sustained pressure on the institutions themselves and elected officials. One of the ways that we need to do this is through the continuation of protests.</p> <p>What we know in political science is protest matters, and actually when we see the destruction of buildings, when we see violence, either by police or either by protesters themselves, we actually see greater response by elected officials. And when we see this sustained effort, even over this ten-day period of time, that’s an extraordinary feat. When we see this sustained effort, we see elected officials feeling more and more pressure. And while it certainly takes a lot of time and a lot of effort, what we do know is that elected officials do respond to pressure. If they feel their electoral livelihood is in jeopardy, they will respond. And we’ve seen instances where they will respond in significant ways, like really changing their attitudes and their previously stated positions. For a whole host of reasons, I think that, within all of this craziness, there’s a lot of possibilities for true optimistic change.</p> <p>So, I’ll leave it at that.</p> <p><strong>GP:</strong> Thank you Professor Garcia. And we’ll end with Professor Justin Emeka.</p> <p><strong>Justin Emeka: </strong>Thank you all for having me here. Thank my colleagues for sharing your perspectives. It’s been a really crazy week. How incredible and amazing. How quickly our whole nation can get turned upside down.</p> <p>I teach in Africana Studies and in the theater. My trade is in the arts, and so a lot of my work is in changing perspective, transforming hearts through expression. I’ve been trying to reflect and get a sense about what I’m feeling in this time as an individual, what’s going on in my community, what does our community need to hear in these times to move forward, to move through these times and grow and become better.</p> <p>First of all, a lot of us are feeling a lot of anger, pain, and frustration, and we’ve got to find ways to let ourselves feel those emotions. Let us find ways to express these emotions. And find ways to support each other as we feel these emotions.</p> <p>I encourage everyone out there to take care of yourself and to take care of each other. And speaking to the 91ֱ�� community in particular, I want to remind us that we are part of an extraordinary legacy here at 91ֱ��. 91ֱ�� has been at the forefront of the Black Lives Matter movement since the 19th century, and I just want to remind us all of role in that regard. We are connected to a large legacy that we can draw from and reach and get inspiration from to figure out how we move forward in these times. And I hope that 91ֱ�� will continue to stay at the forefront of asking tough questions, of challenging each other, of loving each other fiercely, of creating new forms that help us reimagine society.</p> <p>I hear there’s a lot of people saying, “What can we do?” Black and white students. People of all backgrounds are asking, “What do we do in this moment? How can we feel like we’re contributing?” Understand that when we’re talking about systemic change, there’s nothing that we’re going to figure out in this forum or today that is going to make us feel like we’re doing right. And that’s not even the goal. The goal is not to make ourselves feel good and feel like we’re contributing, but to actually make systemic change, which unfortunately doesn’t happen in one moment, but happens over the course of generations, and it happens by investing in certain principles and ideas.</p> <p>Here at 91ֱ��, the first principle I would encourage is for us to continue to study the history of Black people, wherever you are, and whatever field you’re in. If you’re in the sciences, study the history of Black people in biology. Study the history of Black people in the classics. Study the history of Black people in philosophy. This is one way to affirm that Black lives matter movement. Study the emergence of white supremacy in this history. Study how it emerged as a phenomenon and how it informs every aspect of our society. Before we can do anything, we have to understand what it is we’re dealing with. There are no crash courses. You have to invest in this study.</p> <p>Second, we want to look at policies and make sure we have fair and equal and consistent policies that are in place, and demand that those policies are being promoted equally and enforced equally. And we have to not be afraid to dismantle policies that are inadequate. And sometimes we have to design new policies that help protect and promote equal rights and justice for all.</p> <p>Third, we have to also invest in the principle of changing hearts and minds—provide education and help people learn and grow from new perspectives. We have to create new visions, hear new voices, that help reveal the imaginations and the experiences of all our diverse people in the country. We have to create efforts that encourage dialogue, that encourage communications.</p> <p>Fourth, we have to also just support Black people. Be articulate about your love of Black people, unapologetically articulate a love and support of Black people, so that we understand that we can love everyone and achieve universality by being very specific in loving and supporting Black people. Embrace the diversity of all the different kinds of Black people. There are so many different kinds of Black people. Find a Black community and support them, and uplift them, and affirm them. Help get resources to Black communities. Help provide services to Black organizations and Black communities.</p> <p>Finally, find ways to impact your own life. Find ways to have conversations with aunts and uncles that you’re sometimes too scared to have because it gets too ugly too quick. Have that conversation with that friend who said something ignorant, but find a way to go into that conversation. Find a way to see how there are things going on where we need to check the policy in our life. Are we supporting the Black lives and the Black leaders in our community, making sure they have the tools to do what they need to do in order to reimagine society?</p> <p>Those are just a broad overviews as I work, continue to work, to stay inspired, because I also want to encourage 91ֱ�� people to be upset, to feel your anger, to be sad, but then also remind them that we don’t have the luxury to just sit there and live in it. We are the people who are being trained to help reimagine our society.</p> <p>So, take care of yourself, take care of each other, as we build a world for today and tomorrow.</p> <p>Thank you.</p> </details> </div> </div> </div> </article> <article> <h1>91ֱ�� Drama at Grafton Celebrates Alumni Who Are Now Restored Citizens</h1> <p>anagy — Thu, 20 Feb 2020 21:11:34 +0000</p> <span>91ֱ�� Drama at Grafton Celebrates Alumni Who Are Now Restored Citizens</span> <span><span>anagy</span></span> <span><time datetime="2020-02-20T16:11:34-05:00" title="Thursday, February 20, 2020 - 16:11">Thu, 02/20/2020 - 16:11</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Ten alumni of 91ֱ�� Drama at Grafton (ODAG) were honored at an informal ceremony at the Eric Baker Nord Performing Arts Annex on February 15 for becoming restored citizens. </p> <p>Emerita Professor of English Phyllis Gorfain founded ODAG, a prison theater program at the Grafton Correctional Institution, in 2012. The program prepares residents of the Grafton Reintegration Center for a successful return to society through increased self-knowledge, social understanding, and enhanced life skills gained from studying and performing meaningful drama.</p> <p>ODAG’s 15 productions, some of which the 10 alumni starred in, include Shakespeare’s <em>Julius Caesar</em>, <em>Othello</em>, <em>Macbeth</em>, <em>A Midsummer Night’s Dream</em>, and <em>The Tempest</em>. Additionally, ODAG members performed <em>The Piano Lesson</em> and Joe Turner’s Come and Gone, both by African American playwright August Wilson. </p> <p>During the past eight years, 66 men have performed in 15 productions, and ODAG has seen 26 men become restored citizens. The program has achieved a zero percent recidivism rate among the alumni who are restored citizens.</p> <p>In 2019, Gorfain was awarded the Governor’s Award in the Arts for Arts Administration for her leadership in ODAG. While the ceremony recognized ODAG’s eight-year history and its successful productions, Gorfain focused on the restored alumni and their families.</p> <p>“There are so many people here who I love so much, above all the ODAG actors,” Gorfain said. “We have so much to celebrate.” </p> <p>The ODAG alumni include Shaun Bernard, Brian Butler, Christopher Fredrickson, Patrick Janson, Martin Louis, Stanley Martowitz, Joseph Peoples, Gene Scott, Joseph “Buck” Sharp, and Jerome Thompson. </p> <p>Gorfain presented each actor with a certificate of appreciation, <a href="http://www2.oberlin.edu/alummag/fall2016/issue/html5forpc.html?page=14">an article about ODAG</a> <span aria-hidden="true" class="fa fa-external-link"></span> from the <em>91ֱ�� Alumni Magazine</em>, and a 20-page packet of 41 letters that audience members, made up of local 91ֱ�� and greater Ohio residents, wrote for the ODAG actors.</p> <p>The actors who gave remarks about their experience expressed their gratitude for Gorfain for not only immersing them in Shakespearean theater, but treating them with kindness and respect and believing in their potential.</p> <p>“I think one of the most special things about ODAG for me is that in prison you are kind of invisible,” Brian Butler said. “To society at large, it’s really easy to be forgotten, and most of us, when we’re in that situation, are forgotten. And to have something where Phyllis and 91ֱ�� students and people came in and saw us, and were there with us… to have them come in and work with us as people, as humans, not as the iconic prisoner, on our level, to interact with us where we were. It was just such a powerful thing.”</p> <p>Jerome Thompson agreed, citing Gorfain’s commitment to putting on each production and dependence on the actors’ cooperation as transformative.</p> <p>“[In ODAG], somebody else was depending on me. Somebody else needed me. And that opened up something in me that allowed me to change my own life in different ways,’’ Thompson said. ‘‘I’m really proud of that,”</p> <p>The prison environment often discourages vulnerability and communication, but for many of the ODAG actors, having Gorfain’s direction and encouragement allowed for a space to open up.</p> <p>“Coming to ODAG, it was the perfect thing for me… [Phyllis] was like a mother, a sister, a cousin, she was everything,” Joseph Peoples said. “The neighborhood I come from, there’s no community. ODAG for me was a community. It gave me something to look forward to, it gave me something to work toward. It was dynamic in that way.”</p> <p>91ֱ�� faculty who have assisted with ODAG include Ana Cara, professor of Hispanic studies; Justin Emeka, associate professor of theater and Africana studies; Caroline Jackson Smith, professor of theater and Africana studies; Gillian Johns, professor of English; and Paul Moser, professor of theater.</p> <p>Gorfain stated that ODAG will be replaced by a new theater program at Grafton Correctional Institution after her retirement as artistic director of 91ֱ�� Drama at Grafton this year. Assistant Professor Anjanette Hall of the Baldwin Wallace University Theatre Department will become the new director. She plans to stage an original play in April 2020 based on the stories of the incarcerated men she will work with, with the assistance of 12 theatre students from Baldwin Wallace. </p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2020-02-20T12:00:00Z">Thu, 02/20/2020 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Jaimie Yue ’22</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2363">Academics & Research</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=3319">Community Engagement</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2392">Social Justice</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-programs field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25441">Theater</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25346">English</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-departments field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/theater" hreflang="und">Theater</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/english" hreflang="und">English</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-caption field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item">91ֱ�� Drama at Grafton alumni pose for a group picture with outgoing director Phyllis Gorfain (front, second from left).</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Jack Lichtenstein ’23</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> </article> <article> <h1>Queer Country Singer Eli Conley ’08 Helps Others Find Their Voice</h1> <p>anagy — Tue, 30 Apr 2019 15:56:40 +0000</p> <span>Queer Country Singer Eli Conley ’08 Helps Others Find Their Voice</span> <span><span>anagy</span></span> <span><time datetime="2019-04-30T11:56:40-04:00" title="Tuesday, April 30, 2019 - 11:56">Tue, 04/30/2019 - 11:56</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Eli Conley chose 91ֱ�� for reasons that sound familiar to many current and future Obies: having trained as a musician but not necessarily interested in pursuing a performance major, the college’s broad-based liberal arts education appealed to him as much as the Conservatory of Music’s offerings.</p> <p>Conley found himself drawn to courses in comparative American studies. At the same time, he took voice lessons taught by conservatory students and performed in several musical ensembles.</p> <p>“Everything I was interested in was labeled comparative American studies,” recalls Conley, who was raised in a small town near Richmond, Virginia. “I’ve always been interested in issues of justice and how we build a world that actually serves the needs of everyone and not just the privileged few. I feel like the classes I took were incredibly transformational in opening my eyes to what intersectionality actually means. We can’t dismantle sexism if we aren’t also dismantling white supremacy and ableism and the ways of all forms of aggression interlock.”</p> <p>In addition to performing in <a href="/dean-of-the-conservatory/saa/large-ensembles">Collegium Musicum</a>, 91ֱ��’s early music a capella choir, and smaller baroque ensembles, Conley began writing his own original music. At age 19, he played his first performance at the Cat in the Cream Coffeehouse.</p> <p>After graduating with a degree in comparative American studies in 2008, Conley relocated to the San Francisco Bay Area, where he has built a business as a voice teacher to support his songwriting and performing. He describes his music as country-tinged folk, and it’s no small coincidence that he writes songs about people who want a better world.</p> <p>Conley returned to campus and the Cat in the Cream in April as part of his “<a href="https://www.eliconley.com/">Chasing Spring</a>’’ tour. During his visit, he performed a folk acoustic show opened by the 91ֱ�� student-composed South Professor Band, and for the first time ever outside of San Francisco, he led a newly created Songs of Social Justice Workshop.</p> <figure class="captioned-image obj-right"> <figcaption>Eli Conley grew up listening to country and folk music, and he trained in classical singing.</figcaption> </figure> <p>Conley says the workshop was inspired by the nine-week program of singing classes he teaches to LGBTQ adults and allies.</p> <p>“I teach songs from a lot of different social justice movements and give the history of how the song fit into that movement,” he explains. “We did a song called “Singing the Spirit Home” from the South African anti-apartheid movement; a chant called “Forget Your Perfect Offering, based on the lyrics of the Leonard Cohen song “Anthem”; a song from the Black Lives Matter movement called “I Can’t Breathe” based on the death of Eric Garner; and the song “We Shall Not be Moved,” which has come from a lot of different movements and protests.”</p> <p>Social justice themes are ever-present in Conley’s own songs. “Being a queer, transgendered person from a small town in Virginia”—that shows up, too. “A lot of my music connects to themes of what it feels like to be an outsider in a rural area and in a place that doesn’t accept you automatically,” he says.</p> <p>“I’m fortunate to have progressive and accepting parents, but I grew up around a lot of kids who did not accept me.”</p> <p>Conley grew up female and transitioned at 91ֱ��. Consequently, his singing voice changed, too.</p> <p>“I was a classical singer. I had done jazz and musical theater. Part of the reason why I’m a voice teacher is because of my experience at 91ֱ�� getting to work with teachers through the process of my voice changing,” he says. “I don’t think I could have done it on my own. As a teacher, I work with a lot of trans and nonbinary singers to help guide them through the process.”</p> <p>In addition to writing, performing, and teaching, Conley organizes and hosts the “Queer Country West Coast” concert series four times a year in San Francisco. The show features LGBTQ-identifying country artists. “I love country music. It’s a fun way to carve out more space for queer country people in country music and country music in queer communities.”</p> <p>Second-year Carson Dowhan, a singer and guitar player with the South Professor Band, says he appreciates seeing an artist who is comfortable with his identity and uses his voice to lift others. Dowhan, who also is from the Bay Area, participated in Conley’s song workshop.</p> <p>“Eli did such a great job making singing accessible for people who weren‘t seasoned musicians. Seeing him perform was just something else too—his songs were so well-crafted, and I was freaking out in the back of the Cat just totally immersed in his lyrics.”</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2019-04-30T12:00:00Z">Tue, 04/30/2019 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Amanda Nagy</div> <div class="text-content field field--name-field-intro-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Eli Conley ‘08 found his voice at 91ֱ��. Now he‘s helping LGBTQ singers and carving a space in country music for queer people.</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2368">Alumni</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2569">Alumni-Student Connections</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2548">Concerts and Recitals</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2392">Social Justice</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2370">Ensembles & Orchestras</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-programs field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25311">Comparative American Studies</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-departments field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/comparative-american-studies" hreflang="und">Comparative American Studies</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-caption field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item">Eli Conley, center, leads a Songs for Social Justice Workshop at the Cat in the Cream Coffeehouse.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Michael Hartman</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> </article> <article> <h1>Jazz Legend Sonny Rollins Designates Major Gift to 91ֱ��</h1> <p>eburnett — Mon, 13 Nov 2017 14:10:59 +0000</p> <span>Jazz Legend Sonny Rollins Designates Major Gift to 91ֱ��</span> <span><span>eburnett</span></span> <span><time datetime="2017-11-13T09:10:59-05:00" title="Monday, November 13, 2017 - 09:10">Mon, 11/13/2017 - 09:10</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>In a career spanning seven decades, Sonny Rollins has left an indelible mark on the international jazz world.</p> <p>Now the saxophone legend and composer has done the same for 91ֱ��.</p> <p>This fall, Rollins designated a generous gift to 91ֱ�� College for the purpose of establishing and maintaining the 91ֱ�� Conservatory of Music Sonny Rollins Jazz Ensemble Fund.</p> <p>A phenom in the jazz world while still in his teens, Rollins was already playing and recording with Miles Davis, Thelonious Monk, and Bud Powell by his early twenties. His gift to 91ֱ�� grew out of his friendship with author and musician James McBride, a 1979 graduate of 91ֱ�� College. The gift was made in recognition of the institution’s long legacy of access and social justice advocacy. In particular, Rollins was moved by 91ֱ��’s place as the first institution of higher learning to adopt a policy to admit students of color and the first to confer degrees to women, and by the contributions of alumni such as Will Marion Cook, a black violinist and composer who studied at 91ֱ�� in the 1880s and who went on to become an important teacher and mentor to Duke Ellington.</p> <p>Commitment to inclusive excellence and social impact remain foundational to 91ֱ��’s educational mission, just as Rollins has long derived meaning through service to his fellow man.</p> <p>“That the legendary Sonny Rollins—an artist of truly extraordinary accomplishment, soulfulness, and character—would entrust 91ֱ�� to steward his legacy is the highest honor, and deeply humbling,” says Dean of the Conservatory Andrea Kalyn. “We are so very grateful to James McBride—whose own life and work stands in testament to 91ֱ��’s values—for shepherding this gift, which has a singular power to demonstrate for our students the full dimension of their obligation as musicians in this world, to inspire them to fulfill that obligation far beyond their years as students, and so to advance 91ֱ��’s own legacy of impact.”</p> <p>Beginning in spring 2018, 91ֱ�� jazz studies majors may audition for the 91ֱ�� Sonny Rollins Jazz Ensemble—“The Sonny Ensemble.” Students may be accepted into the ensemble through annual auditions at any time during their 91ֱ�� Conservatory education. Qualified incoming students may be accepted into the ensemble upon their decision to attend 91ֱ��.</p> <p>Each student’s candidacy will be considered on the basis of four criteria: an audition for 91ֱ��’s jazz faculty, evidence of academic achievement, thoughtful response to a question about the place of jazz in the world, and service to humanity.</p> <p>Variable in size, the Sonny Ensemble will perform in flexible configurations in both formal settings and outreach programs, in venues across the region and around the world. Members, called “Sonny Scholars,” must dedicate at least two semesters to performing in the ensemble.</p> <p>More than a mere spot in an elite unit, membership in the ensemble requires a commitment to service through music and willingness to give for others—core principles exemplified by Rollins throughout his life and career.</p> <p>Sonny Scholars fulfill this mission in part through a required winter-term project—approved by each student’s principal studio professor—that embodies Rollins’ spirit of giving. In this way and others, each musician in the ensemble is an ambassador not just for jazz, but for all people.</p> <p>“The humanity element has to be a big presence in everything young players do,” says Rollins, now 87. “People are hungry for a reason to live and to be happy. We’re asking these young musicians to look at the big picture, to tap into the universal power of a higher spirit, so they can give people what they need. Giving back to others teaches inner peace and inner spirituality. Everything is going to be open for them if they devote themselves in this way.”</p> <p>Each ensemble member’s commitment will be memorialized in the Sonny Scholar Ledger, a volume that declares each musician’s adherence to the principle of giving. The cover of the ledger is emblazoned with these words from Rollins: “Trust that later on in life, there’s something bigger for you when you serve others.”</p> <p>The first signature is that of Rollins.</p> <p>The ledger will be permanently displayed in the Bertram and Judith Kohl Building, home of 91ֱ��’s Division of Jazz Studies. The gift also includes a 1972 Selmer Mark VI tenor saxophone, mouthpiece, and reed played by Rollins, which will be displayed with the ledger.</p> <p>“This gift is incredibly powerful for us,” says Bobby Ferrazza, professor of jazz guitar and director of the Division of Jazz Studies. “It creates a direct link for our students to one of the greatest musicians in the history of jazz—and to his ideals. In aspiring to participate in this group, our students will be imbued with the humanity and musical values established by Mr. Rollins himself. The founding principles of the ensemble will be singularly inspirational for our department, today and for generations to come.”</p> <p>Inaugural auditions for the Sonny Rollins Jazz Ensemble at 91ֱ�� Conservatory will take place in spring 2018. Additional details will be available at a later date.</p> <p>Those interested in joining <span class="il">Sonny Rollins</span> in support of this endeavor are invited to visit <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=http://www.oberlin.edu/donate&source=gmail&ust=1510669533840000&usg=AFQjCNEmdApha_QuuGyIXDrepJE7Xzz-JQ" href="/donate" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">www.oberlin.edu/donate</a>, email <a href="mailto:giving@oberlin.edu">giving@oberlin.edu</a>, or call 440-775-8273.</p> <h5>About Sonny Rollins</h5> <p>Born in New York City in 1930, Walter Theodore “Sonny” Rollins started playing the saxophone at the age of eight, receiving guidance from pianist and composer Thelonious Monk. By the time he finished high school, Rollins was playing professionally in the Harlem clubs near his home. In seven decades of performing, he collaborated with countless jazz luminaries, from Miles Davis to McCoy Tyner, and made more than 60 records showcasing his unsurpassed improvisational chops and distinct compositional voice. Rollins won multiple Grammy Awards, including a 2004 award for lifetime achievement, and was honored with the National Medal of Arts in 2010.</p> <p>Acclaimed writer and musician James McBride, a 1979 graduate of 91ֱ�� College, praises Rollins not only for his musicianship, but for his “humility, deep spirituality, and a reflective studiousness that included the study of religion, philosophy, and existentialism.”</p> <p>“His immense musical vocabulary, creative originality, and profound body of work mark him as one of the greatest musicians of any serious music, no matter what name it is given, no matter what era or century in which it was made,” McBride has said of Rollins.</p> <h5>About 91ֱ�� Conservatory</h5> <p>Founded in 1865 and situated amid the intellectual vitality of 91ֱ�� College, the 91ֱ�� Conservatory of Music is the oldest continuously operating conservatory in America and the only major conservatory dedicated primarily to the education of undergraduate musicians. Hailed as a “national treasure” by <em>The Washington Post</em>, 91ֱ�� was awarded the National Medal of Arts in 2009. The conservatory incorporated jazz into its curriculum in 1973. In 2010 91ֱ�� christened the Bertram and Judith Kohl Building, home of the Division of Jazz Studies.</p> <p><a class="view-more" href="/node/36" target="_blank">Learn more about 91ֱ�� Conservatory</a></p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2017-11-13T12:00:00Z">Mon, 11/13/2017 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">By Erich Burnett</div> <div class="text-content field field--name-field-intro-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Newly created Sonny Rollins Jazz Ensemble Fund will support exemplary conservatory musicians and service efforts.</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2356">Conservatory</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2370">Ensembles & Orchestras</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2419">Giving</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2392">Social Justice</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-programs field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=34691">Jazz Performance</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=34896">Jazz Composition</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-faculty field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/bobby-ferrazza" hreflang="und">Bobby Ferrazza</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-departments field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/conservatory/divisions/jazz-studies" hreflang="und">Jazz Studies</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">John Abbott</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> </article> <article> <h1>Louisa Liles Receives Dalai Lama fellowship</h1> <p>anagy — Mon, 07 Nov 2016 18:01:20 +0000</p> <span>Louisa Liles Receives Dalai Lama fellowship</span> <span><span>anagy</span></span> <span><time datetime="2016-11-07T13:01:20-05:00" title="Monday, November 7, 2016 - 13:01">Mon, 11/07/2016 - 13:01</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Rising third-year Louisa Liles will combine her background in performing arts with focused studies in mathematical economics to bring hands-on arts enrichment to disadvantaged youth in Dallas as a 2016 Dalai Lama fellow.</p> <p>The <a href="http://www.dalailamafellows.org">Dalai Lama fellowship</a> awards grants of up to $6,000 to highly motivated students at select colleges and universities worldwide. Fellows design and launch ambitious, mentored, yearlong Compassion-in-Action projects. Over the course of the year fellows are immersed in a reflective leadership curriculum, where they explore universal human values, including contemplation, compassion, emotional resilience, discernment, and courage.</p> <p>Liles, a native of Plano, Texas, is using the grant to build a model for high-quality instruction in dance and music for children in West Dallas, an impoverished region that has long been plagued by environmental and institutional racism. Beginning this summer, she is launching West Dallas Harmony, a coalition of performing arts educators committed to empowering youth who have been underserved in the arts.</p> <p>Growing up just north of Dallas, Liles—a ballerina and violinist—attended the public schools in Plano, where she says she was extremely fortunate to have benefitted from a strong arts program in her district. She began lessons in dance at age 3 and violin in kindergarten. She was so committed to dance that she hoped to become a professional ballerina, but a major injury before her senior year of high school made her re-evaluate her career ambitions.</p> <p>As an economics major, Liles says she is interested in researching the economic impact of extracurricular and co-curricular activities—which factors determine whether those activities are offered in public schools, how enrollment correlates with family income or race, and to whom these programs are most marginally beneficial.</p> <p>Liles became familiar with the West Dallas community and the economic barriers that families face as an AmeriCorps teacher in summer 2015. With another college student, she team-taught a group of 30 fourth- and fifth-graders in an eight-week summer camp, BX3, at the Wesley-Rankin Community Center (WRCC). She returned to volunteer at the community center for her most recent winter term.</p> <p>She says the WRCC is a fascinating example of community leaders coming together to resist institutional barriers that keep West Dallas families from accessing educational resources. However, she noticed that the center has not been able to harness the performing arts resources that greater Dallas had to offer.</p> <p>“While science, math, and reading subjects had continuous curriculum with interactive lessons, all of the music and dance lessons at BX3 were taught by one-time volunteers and centered on exposure rather than participation. Classes did not build off each other and offered no opportunity for students to grow their skills as artists.”</p> <p>Her project, West Dallas Harmony, is recruiting instructors to teach consistent, continuous, hands-on arts lessons. She says the curriculum will be informed by the National Core Arts Standards and <em>Tools for Achieving and Sustaining Quality in Arts Education</em>, a guide reported by the <a href="http://www.wallacefoundation.org/pages/default.aspx">Wallace Foundation</a>. Her colleague from BX3 last summer has also agreed to assist her in facilitating the curriculum.</p> <p>During BX3, instructors will teach weekly lessons, meeting at the end of the week to debrief and reflect on what did or didn’t work, Liles explains. “A huge part of my project’s mission is to offer lessons that not only supplement but directly connect to and expand on ideas learned in other subjects,” she says. “For example, the students will be choreographing dances inspired by processes emphasized in the camp’s science curriculum, such as the water cycle or earthquakes. In music classes, we will focus on rhythm, because it has so many applications to math and language. I have already used some of the grant funds to purchase Boomwhackers, Djembe drums, and other exciting handheld percussion instruments.”</p> <p>The project will also bring in guest performers and teachers from a variety of disciplines and traditions, including a local Raas team (a traditional folk dance from Gujarat, India). Small ensembles from the Greater Dallas Youth Orchestra also will be performing and giving workshops.</p> <p>West Dallas Harmony will not provide classes in the fall, but Liles will closely examine the data and correspond with her mentors to develop an improved curriculum at WRCC that will be implemented in January 2017. One of those mentors is Cleveland-based Lisa Yanofsky ’13, Cleveland Opera Theater’s education and outreach director.</p> <p>Liles credits the support she has received from Beth Blissman and the Bonner Center for Service and Learning through a module-length private reading of community engaged research. “Under Beth’s guidance, I researched the factors that determine a quality arts outreach program, started working through the Dalai Lama Foundation’s Tilling the Soil curriculum for fellows, and brainstormed ideas on how to execute my project.”</p> <p>Liles says she believes in the transformative power of each person’s unique voice and vision. “We will help the youth of West Dallas discover and cultivate this power by matching them with arts education to create and critique music and movement. Our classes will create a laboratory environment that encourages imaginative experimentation and empathetic communication.”</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2016-06-02T12:00:00Z">Thu, 06/02/2016 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Amanda Nagy</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2373">Awards and Honors</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2392">Social Justice</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-programs field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25341">Economics</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-departments field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/economics" hreflang="und">Economics</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-caption field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item">Louisa Liles</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Jennifer Manna</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> </article> <article> <h1>Celebrating Africana Unity and Celebration Month</h1> <p>Anonymous — Mon, 07 Nov 2016 18:01:50 +0000</p> <span>Celebrating Africana Unity and Celebration Month</span> <span><span>Anonymous (not verified)</span></span> <span><time datetime="2016-11-07T13:01:50-05:00" title="Monday, November 7, 2016 - 13:01">Mon, 11/07/2016 - 13:01</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Every year in February, the 91ֱ�� community comes together to study the history, politics, and economics of black people in America, acknowledge their central role in shaping our nation, and celebrate their achievements. Known as Black History Month, 91ֱ�� has traditionally recognized this time with panels, lectures, readings, symposia, and artistic displays and performances. This tradition continues with a new identity: Africana Unity and Celebration Month. In addition to acknowledging the historical legacies and contemporary contributions of African Americans, Africana Unity and Celebration Month is inclusive of queer, trans, and femme-identifying people, as well as Africana groups throughout the diaspora and those with intersectional identities.</p> <p>Read on to learn about a few featured events of this year’s Africana Unity and Celebration Month. A complete listing of events can be seen on the <a href="https://calendar.oberlin.edu/search/events?search=Africana+Unity">Events Calendar</a>, and more information about the monthlong celebration can be found on <a href="https://new.oberlin.edu/events-activities/black-history/">this webpage</a>.</p> <h3><em>Harriet Tubman: When I Crossed That Line to Freedom</em></h3> <p> </p> <p>Saturday, February 6, 6:30 p.m.</p> <p>Finney Chapel</p> <p> </p> <p><em>Harriet Tubman: When I Crossed That Line to Freedom</em> is a new two-act theatrical work by Nkieru Okoye that tells of how a young girl born in slavery becomes Harriet Tubman, the legendary Underground Railroad conductor. Based on recent Tubman biographies, the story is narrated and told in the context of Tubman’s tight-knit family of lively characters. Harriet Tubman carries the universal themes of sisterhood, courage, sacrifice, and doing what is necessary to keep a family together.</p> <p>This touring co-production with the 91ֱ�� Opera Theater is part of the Cleveland Opera Theater New Opera Initiative and is the Midwest premiere of the opera. The performance is sponsored by the 91ֱ�� Conservatory of Music, the Africana Studies Department, the Office of the President, the Multicultural Resource Center, and Christ Episcopal Church of 91ֱ��.</p> <h3>”Transpacific AntiRacism”</h3> <p> </p> <p>Friday, February 19, noon</p> <p>Wilder 101</p> <p> </p> <p>”Transpacific AntiRacism” is a lecture by Yuichiro Onishi, associate professor of African American and African studies and Asian American studies at the University of Minnesota, and author of the recent publication <em>Transpacific Antiracism: Afro-Asian Solidarity in 20th Century Black America, Japan and Okinawa</em> (New York University Press in 2013).</p> <h3>”Swimming in Dark Waters: Other Voices of the American Experience,” a Convocation Featuring Rhiannon Giddens ’00, Bhi Bhiman, and Leyla McCalla</h3> <p> </p> <p>Saturday, February 20, 8 p.m.</p> <p>Finney Chapel</p> <p> </p> <p>Folk singers, protest singers, and singer-songwriters have been symbols of American resilience for generations. But while the voices most closely associated with such movements tend to be white, a strong history of protest, subversion, and cultural resistance from musicians of color abounds throughout America’s history.</p> <p>Led by Rhiannon Giddens ’00, founding member of the Carolina Chocolate Drops, “Swimming in Dark Waters: Other Voices of the American Experience” explores old and new songs of resistance of the South, protest songs from Leyla McCalla’s Haiti and Louisiana, and the experiences of first-generation American Bhi Bhiman, an “outsider looking in” on issues of culture and race in 21st-century America.</p> <p>A limited number of free tickets (up to 2 per person) for this event will be available starting at noon on Friday, February 5. See the <a href="https://calendar.oberlin.edu/event/special_convocation_swimming_in_dark_waters_other_voices_of_the_american_experience_featuring_rhiannon_giddens_00_bhi_bhiman_and_leyla_mccalla#.VqjgPBgrJaQ">Events Calendar</a> for more information on ticketing.</p> <h3>Complicated Relationships: Mary Church Terrell’s Legacy for 21st Century Activists</h3> <p> </p> <p>Friday, February 26, 4:30 p.m.</p> <p>Saturday, February 27, all day</p> <p>Most Events in King 106, Selected Events in Mudd Learning Center</p> <p> </p> <p>Occurring at the intersection of Black History Month and Women’s History Month, the Complicated Relationships: Mary Church Terrell’s Legacy for 21st Century Activists symposium celebrates the life of Mary Church Terrell, Class of 1884, and the significant gift of the Mary Church Terrell papers to the 91ֱ�� College Archives. The symposium is also an opportunity to think together about social justice today.</p> <p>Terrell was a feminist and civil rights activist and a founding member of the National Association of Colored Women (NACW) and NAACP, who worked tirelessly across lines of race and gender to achieve a more just and equitable society. Symposium participants include Terrell descendants Ray and Jean Langston; keynote speaker Johnnetta Cole ’57; prominent 91ֱ�� College Alumnae Lillie Edwards ’75, Treva Lindsey ’04, Rachel Seidman ’88, Jennifer Morgan ’86, and Lori Ginzberg ’78; and current 91ֱ�� students.</p> <p>The symposium is cosponsored by the Gender, Sexuality and Feminist Studies Institute; the Africana Studies Department; the 91ֱ�� College Archives; the 91ֱ�� Alumni Association of African Ancestry (OA4); and the Office of Alumni Relations. Support comes from the Comparative American Studies Program, the History Department, 91ֱ�� College Libraries, the Dean of Students Office, the Dean of Arts and Sciences, and the Office of the President.</p> <p>Session information can be found in <a href="http://new.oberlin.edu/dotAsset/d0b4d118-7089-4b0d-a328-fbd9ba378176.pdf">this PDF</a>. The symposium is part of the 2016 Think/Create/Engage series, The Framing of Race.</p> <h3>“Fighting Apartheid Since 1948: Key Moments in Palestinian and Black Solidarity”</h3> <p> </p> <p>Thursday, March 3</p> <p>Dye Lecture Hall, Science Center</p> <p> </p> <p>“Fighting Apartheid Since 1948: Key Moments in Palestinian and Black Solidarity” is a lecture by Robin D.G. Kelley, distinguished professor of history and Gary B. Nash endowed chair in United States history at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). The lecture will explore how the Palestinian and black communities have common interests and challenges and their methods for addressing them. See the <a href="http://www.history.ucla.edu/faculty/robin-kelley">UCLA website</a> for information about Kelley’s research interests and selected publications.</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2016-02-11T12:00:00Z">Thu, 02/11/2016 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Lisa Gulasy</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2404">Cultural Celebrations</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2392">Social Justice</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2383">Convocation Series</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-programs field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=4821">Africana Studies</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25361">Gender, Sexuality, and Feminist Studies</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-departments field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/africana-studies" hreflang="und">Africana Studies</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> </article> </main></body></html>