PREVIOUS Topics in Our Series 2006-2007 Lecture Series American Institutional Change and the Social, Economic, and Political Plight of African-Americans Institutions are the rules of the game in a society. More formally, they are the socially devised constraints that shape human interaction. In effect, they structure incentives in human exchange, whether political, social or economic. Institutional changes shape the way societies evolve through time and hence are the key to understanding historical change. This lecture will provide to students a working definition of institutional change, and, through specific examples, will explore the impact of institutional change on the economic, social, and political well-being of African-Americans. The Souls of Black Folk William Edward Burghardt Du Bois was one of America’s most distinguished educators. In 1895, Du Bois became the first African American to earn a Ph.D. from Harvard University. Two years later, Du Bois accepted a professorship at Atlanta University. During his tenure there he conducted extensive studies of the social conditions of blacks in America. In 1903, he wrote The Souls of Black Folk, which serves as the underpinning of access to many of his ideas and remains one of the most influential books ever published in America. This lecture will examine Du Bois’ thinking, as reflected in Souls. The New Slavery: Black America and the Politics of Incarceration 2005-2006 Lecture Series AMERICAN POLITICS Many Americans, particularly young people, are skeptical of the role played by American political parties. Indeed, some scholars have described the past four decades as the "anti-party age," based largely upon a rise in the number of people who self identify as "independent." So-called "swing voters" finding party identification less appealing and are turned off by fervent party based rhetoric. As such, many young people have dropped out or never joined the ranks of the voting public. We will examine the vision of the "founding fathers," the function and structure of political parties and what this means for politics today. Special attention will be given to the 2004 presidential election, who voted, how and if this pattern will repeat in the upcoming Atlanta mayoral election. AGAIN? AGAIN! Value placed on gender, race, and class in public space largely through the repetition of language, images, and sound continues to inform our experience and the responses to our experiences. Ironically, this body of work suggests repetition as a tool to uncover meaning by gathering memories, images, text, sound and objects and using repetition as creative form. This lecture points to contemporary artists whose work in new media explores signs of class, race and gender codes that occur repetitiously in print media, television and film. WHY ARE ALL THE BLACK KIDS SITTING TOGETHER IN THE CAFTERIA? AND OTHER CONVERSATIONS ABOUT RACE Adolescents need to affirm their identity ---- be it based on race, gender or something else. This lecture will discuss the importance and need for dialogue about race and provide the tools to gain confidence to make talking about race and racism less intimidating. Based on her compelling book, which remains among the most credible works on the issue, this lecture will examine racial identity among adolescents today and the daily discourse about race. THE CRISIS IN PUBLIC EDUCATION Although African-American students have shown some increased performance on standardized test scores, the gains have been relatively small and inconsistent over time when measured against the results of whites students. The test score gap is revealed in the fact that white students, on average, consistently score 20-30 points higher than their African-American peers. Seventeen-year-old African-American students have skills in reading, mathematics, and science that are similar to those of 13-year old white students. Interestingly, the test score gap exists even when researchers control for social class. In other words, when middle and upper-middle income African-American students are compared to their social class counterparts, the gap persists. This lecture will examine the nature of the test score gap and the explanations offered by educational researchers and policy makers. EXPLORING THE LIFE OF A LITERARY LEGEND Zora Neale Hurston was indeed the most successful and most significant black woman writer of the first half of the twentieth century. In a career that spanned more than 30 years, she published four novels (including her masterpiece, Their Eyes Were Watching God), two books of folklore, an autobiography, many short stories, and several articles and plays. Though she died in 1960, Hurston’s impact can still be felt. Many writers and other cultural figures "from Alice Walker to Oprah Winfrey" have claimed Hurston as a literary foremother and continue to herald her writing. In this lecture/discussion, Valerie Boyd, author of Wrapped in Rainbows: The Life of Zora Neale Hurston, will introduce students to Hurston’s life and work. She also will lead a discussion about her own six-year journey to research and write Wrapped in Rainbows - the first biography of Hurston in 25 years. How does a writer unearth the facts of another writer’s life? How do you separate truth from myth? How do you capture the spirit of a person you’ve never met? We will explore all of these questions and more in this illuminating discussion. MICROORGANISMS ARE EVERYWHERE Microorganisms are ubiquitous in nature, so much so that we are frequently unaware of their impact on the human condition. They cause diseases and other conditions that, while they are not insidious health threats, can still be annoying and impact the way we live. Microorganisms also make many positive contributions to the human condition. We will examine examples of all the foregoing effects of microorganisms, several microbial diseases, several of the annoyances and several examples of beneficial effects of microorganisms. Where appropriate, effects of microbes on the health and well being of blacks will be emphasized. 2004-2005 Lecture Series WHY STUDY BLACK WOMEN'S HISTORY? The artistic, political, and intellectual contributions of African-Americans to this nation’s history, though often under-valued, have been nothing short of extraordinary. Historically, the contributions of African-American women have been further marginalized, even by black scholars, who tend - more often then not-to focus on the accomplishments of men. Studying black women’s history is a salient undertaking because it illuminates the ways in which race, gender, and class intersected and continues to impact the lives of women who have been stereotyped and maligned in broader society. The story of black women’s involvement in social issues should inspire all of us to struggle for a better world. TRANSPORTATION AND THE INNER CITY Mobility is vital to African-Americans because many rely solely on public transportation to get to work, socialize and meet family responsibilities. In short, transportation equates to economic mobility and in many cases it makes the difference between living a life on the margins and finding health, wealth and balance in today’s society. However, statistically the reliance on public transportation is heavier for African-Americans than for whites. Dr. Catherine Ross, a professor at the Georgia Institute of Technology and former executive director of the Georgia Transportation Commission, will outline some of the most critical issues surrounding transportation and its economic impacts. RACISM AND DISPARITIES IN HEALTH CARE The fact that disparities exist in health outcomes among different social and ethic groups in the U.S. has been clearly established. Within the context of Healthy People 2010 - the adopted national health plan for this decade-the goal of eliminating those disparities has been set. Led by former head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr. David Satcher, we now understand that not only is it now time to act on that goal, but indeed action has begun. We will discuss the approach to eliminating disparities in health including defining points of attack/intervention. BLACKS IN BUSINESS Following the successes of the Civil Rights movement, large numbers of African-Americans obtained jobs in the American economic mainstream that brought them middle-class incomes and lifestyles. Despite this progress, African-Americans continue to lag far behind whites in terms of realized wealth. Wealth is different than income. Wealth promotes economic support and opportunity even when paychecks stop. As many who have joined the middle class have discovered, the best way to build wealth is through entrepreneurship. In this lecture, Dr. Thomas Boston will help students explore entrepreneurship in an African-American context, past, present and future. LEADERSHIP, THE ECONOMY AND WEALTH CREATION Building wealth is a game that anyone can master! While having wealth will allow you to buy what you want, perhaps most importantly it will allow you to do what you want. Wealth spells opportunity and options. With money you can help the poor, give to struggling artists, and build your own financial empire. In this lecture, we will review the lessons learned from some of America's wealthiest black business leaders. THE MUSIC OF OUR MINDS Hip Hop, like Be-bop and R&B in earlier eras, emerged from unlikely origins deep within the African-American musical community to achieve a prominent place in contemporary society. Once considered a counter-culture fad, expected to fade away within a few years, Hip Hop has invaded mainstream America. Like its musical predecessors, Hip Hop remains edgy and controversial, generating passionate support and equally passionate criticism. In this lecture, we will explore the origins of Hip Hop, its relationships to other black music forms and its many understandings in today's world.
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