AA&AS chair's blog

Call for Papers:
"The Obama Effect"
October 23-25, 2008
University of Minnesota, Twin Cities

Now that he has become the presumptive presidential nominee for the Democratic Party ticket, Barack Obama has challenged conventional wisdom about race, politics, media, and generation. In this historic election year, it is imperative for scholars and professionals in a wide variety of disciplines to reflect upon the potential effects of Obama on: American and global public opinion; party politics; voter participation; media representations; international relations; religious discourses; and constructions of racial, ethnic, sexual, and gender identities.

This conference invites papers from scholars and professionals working from different perspectives on the phenomenon of presumptive Democratic Party nominee Barack Obama's political career. Our goal is to create a conference that will showcase various and interdisciplinary approaches to the "Obama Effect" to provide participants with a multi-faceted view of the past year's campaign and its potential effects on a wide range of social arenas.

Essays and research papers from scholars, journalists, political consultants, community activists, and others are desired. Accepted papers will be considered for inclusion in an edited collection. We are particularly interested in receiving papers that address recent developments in the campaign, and seeing papers on the following topics:

• Michelle Obama and/or her marriage to Obama
  
• Obama's family relationships
  
• Young people and the election
  
• Hate-group websites and reactions to Obama
  
• Mixed race identity
  
• International responses to Obama's candidacy
  
• Perspectives from Latina/os, Asian Americans, and Native Americans
  
• Religion
  
• Recent speeches/responses from other candidates

Abstracts must be emailed no later than July 18th.

Contact for abstracts or questions:
Dr. Catherine Squires
Cowles Chair for Journalism, Diversity & Equality
School of Journalism and Mass Communication
Murphy Hall 111
University of Minnesota
Minneapolis, MN 55455-0418
squir050@umn.edu

Posted by Walt Jacobs at 10:19 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Call for Papers:
"The Obama Effect"
October 23-25, 2008
University of Minnesota, Twin Cities

Since he stepped into the national political spotlight at the 2004 Democratic National Convention, Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) has challenged conventional wisdom about race, politics, media, and generation. In this historic election year, it is imperative for scholars and professionals in a wide variety of disciplines to reflect upon the potential effects of Mr. Obama on: American and global public opinion; party politics; voter participation; media representations; international relations; religious discourses; and constructions of racial, sexual, and gender identities.

This conference invites papers from scholars and professionals working from different perspectives on the phenomenon of Senator Obama's political career. Our goal is to create a conference that will showcase various and interdisciplinary approaches to the "Obama Effect" to provide participants with a multi-faceted view of the past year's campaign and its potential effects on a wide range of social arenas.

Submissions from fields such as: history, media studies, journalism, communication studies, political science, philosophy, social justice, African American Studies, ethnic studies, American Studies, sociology, law are welcome. Essays from professional journalists, political consultants, community organizers, and others are also desired.

In a time of rhetorical flourishes and cantankerous punditry, we must also be cautious and circumspect in our analyses of the effects and repercussions of the 2008 campaign. We are also obliged to look back, and scrutinize recent as well as distant histories of politics, race, ethnicity, and culture, to contextualize this moment. At the same time, we should ponder what changes we might expect, and what changes may be too farfetched, in the midst of heady talk auguring Mr. Obama as an agent of radical social transformation.

Submissions should be completed papers (20-25 pages) or extended abstracts (3-5 pages) for works in progress. Works in progress submissions should provide evidence that the paper will be completed by the date of the conference. Papers that are selected for the conference will also be included in a proposal for an edited volume.

Papers should be postmarked no later than June 6th. Applicants should send three (3) paper copies of their paper or extended abstract to:

Dr. Catherine Squires
Cowles Chair for Journalism, Diversity & Equality
School of Journalism and Mass Communication
Murphy Hall 111
University of Minnesota
Minneapolis, MN 55455-0418
squir050@umn.edu

Participants will be notified of paper's status no later than July 30th.

Posted by Walt Jacobs at 05:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The African American and African Studies Department is co-sponsoring the event "Turning Away from Hate," a program presented by Hillel featuring reformed neo-Nazi TJ Leyden. After 15 years as a neo-Nazi white supremacist activist and recruiter, TJ Leyden experienced a profound change of heart, turned away from hate, and began teaching tolerance. Today, a man who covered his body in Nazi symbols and advocated for the death of minorities is one of the most compelling advocates for the importance of diversity and cultural appreciation.

TJ will be telling his story on campus on Wednesday, April 30th at 7 PM at Willey Hall 175. Admission is FREE, but seating will be limited. Please arrive early! More information is at http://www.ujews.com/hate.

Posted by Afro American and African Studies at 09:49 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The University's Human Rights Center will screen the film Darfur Now on Monday, April 28 at 7:00 p.m. in Room 25 of the Law School. The screening of Darfur Now is part of a partnership with the Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies and the Minnesota Chapter of the Genocide Intervention Network.

Darfur Now is also screening at William Mitchell College of Law on April 27, and will feature a post-film discussion with Adam Sterling from the Sudan Divestment Project.

For other Human Rights-related April events, see http://www.hrusa.org/calendar.

Posted by Walt Jacobs at 04:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

On Tuesday, April 15, Professor Laureen Chew (San Francisco State University) will present "Is Moving From the 'I' to the 'We' Possible Under Ethnic Studies?" This lecture will be held from 10:00-12:00 in Nolte 125. It is the fourth (and final) event in the "Ethnic Studies in the Neo-Liberal University" lecture series.

Posted by Afro American and African Studies at 02:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

All campus community members are invited to partake in "Rethinking the University: Labor, Knowledge, Value," a conference that will be held on Friday, April 11-Sunday, April 13. This conference is to explore the effects of corporatization on the university as well as explore possibilities of organizing to respond to this condition. There will be roundtables and panel presentations as well as art and film exhibitions as part of this 3 day conference. Faculty, staff, and student presenters from the University of Minnesota will be joined from student and faculty presenters from across the nation in discussing and interrogating issues such as the status of the liberal arts, the role of precarious labor, the role of research, and graduate student organizing in the contemporary university. The reception and dinner are open to all presenters and attendees, but the dinner portion will be limited to the first 100 guests. Sign-up registration for events will occur the day of the conference. The conference program including event locations can be found on the website at www.makeumnpublic.org/conference/program.htm

Posted by Walt Jacobs at 12:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

On April 17th the Office for Equity and Diversity will host a Sesquicentennial Lecture: "Changing Demographics: Snapshots of a New Minnesota and a New America." AA&AS professor Rose Brewer will be one of the speakers, highlighting findings from her book, The Color of Wealth: The Story Behind the U.S. Racial Wealth Divide, that clearly indicate the persistence of an economic color line in 21st century America.

Posted by Walt Jacobs at 10:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

SIT DOWN & CHAT WITH SUZAN-LORI PARKS!

Calling all undergraduate students interested in meeting a Pulitzer Prize- and Obie- winning playwright: Topdog/Underdog and Venus author Suzan-Lori Parks will join undergraduates at 9:00 am on March 27 for an informal question and answer session at the Rarig Center. Parks will talk and read from her work at 7:30 pm, March 26, in Ted Mann Concert Hall, and students are very much encouraged to attend that free event as well. NOTE: If you are an undergraduate student and would like to meet one of American theater's brightest lights, please RSVP to Terri Sutton at sutt0063@umn.edu or call 612.626.1528.

Posted by Walt Jacobs at 01:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

In May, Professor Trica Keaton will lead a Global Seminar in Paris, France. The application deadline has been extended to March 17, 2008, and a $500 scholarship will be offered to each admitted student.

Paris is considered one of the most beautiful and exciting places in the world, and for over three centuries, diverse African American artists, intellectuals, musicians, writers, and everyday people have pursued various dreams in the "City of Light," particularly when denied opportunities in the U.S. African Americans are often held up as evidence of racial tolerance in France, even as the lived-experiences of other African diasporic peoples have challenged that very representation and the principles of inclusion upon which it is built. Through stimulating reading, workshops, tours, guest lectures, films, and residence in Paris, this seminar will acquaint you with the life, adventures, and times of those who comprise "Black Paris," as we seek to explore the many questions and paradoxes specific to the African diaspora in this fascinating and complex global city.

The application deadline for this seminar has been extended to March 17, 2008, and a $500 scholarship will be offered to each admitted student.

Posted by Walt Jacobs at 02:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Black Student Union is hosting a dinner with Bobby Seale at 6:00 on February 27. Tickets are $15 for students and $20 for faculty/staff and the general public. Contact bsu@umn.edu for more information.

Posted by Walt Jacobs at 09:44 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

On February 21 the Minnesota Metro Area Chapter of the National Forum for Black Public Administrators (NFBPA) will be hosting a panel discussion: "SHEROES - Standing Tall and Walking Proud Through It All." These inspiring leaders and public servants will share wisdom and lessons learned from their personal and professional journey. The panelists will educate, enlighten and encourage others to embrace the fact that they too can stand tall and walk proud through all of life's challenges. The panel will be held from 4:00 to 6:00 on Thursday, February 21, 2008, at The Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs, University of Minnesota.

SHEROES:

S - Shape public policies
H - Help build bridges and alliances
E - Engage their constituencies
R - Reach out to educate & reach back to uplift
O - Overcome obstacles and challenges
E - Empower others to achieve their goals
S - Stand for social and economic justice for all

Posted by Walt Jacobs at 12:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The University of Minnesota's Institute for Advanced Studies, Center for Urban and Regional Affairs, and Urban Research and Outreach/Engagement Center joins its community partners, the Northside Residents Redevelopment Council and the University Northside Partnership, in hosting a conversation about how the current mortgage crisis impacts north Minneapolis, an area which has one of the highest foreclosure rates in the state. This meeting is an opportunity for interested and concerned faculty, staff, community leaders, organizations and residents, as well as city and county officials, and relevant non-profits to share information about their experiences, knowledge, research, and programs related to the mortgage crisis in north Minneapolis. Anticipated outcomes:

• increased understanding of local programs and projects
  
• greater recognition of how the crisis impacts lives
  
• awareness of opportunities for community/university collaborations and leveraging of resources to achieve change
  
• increased knowledge of the history of housing ownership in north Minneapolis
  
• greater understanding that north Minneapolis is a microcosm of national trends that adversely impact communities of color
  
• identification of research gaps
  
• discussion of possible strategies to strengthen and enhance existing policy and social interventions
  
• increased awareness of legal challenges
  
• formulation of an action agenda

Posted by Walt Jacobs at 06:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

On Thursday, February 7, the NOMMO African American Authors series kicks off. Professor Alexs Pate hosts fiction writer and cultural commentator Randall Kenan at 7:30 PM in Cowles Auditorium (located in the Hubert H. Humphrey Center.)

Posted by Walt Jacobs at 08:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

In May, Professor Trica Keaton will lead a Global Seminar in Paris, France:

Paris is considered one of the most beautiful and exciting places in the world, and for over three centuries, diverse African American artists, intellectuals, musicians, writers, and everyday people have pursued various dreams in the "City of Light," particularly when denied opportunities in the U.S. African Americans are often held up as evidence of racial tolerance in France, even as the lived-experiences of other African diasporic peoples have challenged that very representation and the principles of inclusion upon which it is built. Through stimulating reading, workshops, tours, guest lectures, films, and residence in Paris, this seminar will acquaint you with the life, adventures, and times of those who comprise "Black Paris," as we seek to explore the many questions and paradoxes specific to the African diaspora in this fascinating and complex global city.

Posted by Walt Jacobs at 06:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The University of Minnesota Theatre will perform The Wiz in April of 2008 under the artistic team of director Dominic Taylor, assistant director T. Mychael Rambo, musical director Sanford Moore, and choreographer Uri Sands. This tour de force artistic team will explore Oz like never before, leading a cast comprised of students from many disciplines throughout the University.

WHAT: The Wiz
WHEN: April 11-19, 2008
WHO: University of Minnesota's Department of Theatre Arts and Dance students under the direction of Dominic Taylor, with T. Mychael Rambo, musical direction by Sanford Moore, and choreography by Uri Sands.
WHERE: Rarig Center's Stoll Thrust Theatre, West Bank Arts Quarter, University of Minnesota. 330 21st Ave. S, Minneapolis
TICKETS: $12 - $17 and $2 at the door. U of M Arts Ticket Office 612.624.2345.

THE TRADITION OF OZ
Through the trials and tribulations of Dorothy, The Wiz tells a tale of finding one's place in the world. The universal themes of courage, intelligence, love, and the importance of home are personal journeys that each character takes on their own. Even while the Tin Man, the Scarecrow, the Cowardly Lion, and Dorothy all travel together, their journey is one of finding what each are missing as individuals: a heart, a brain, courage, and a home.

The University Theatre is proud to be a part of the long history of The Wiz. In 1975 The Wiz opened and ran for 1,672 performances on Broadway. Two subsequent national tours and one big-budget/big star film adaptation later, The Wiz became known for its electric musical score and its all African American cast, which was a first for Broadway. More than 30 years later, The Wiz is poised for a possible return to Broadway with the recent success of the Los Angeles based Ja Jolla Playhouse's re-imagining of the tale, and an overwhelming renewed interest in the Land of Oz.

Despite the many adaptations of L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, the heart of the story remains the same. Wherever Oz may be to you -- whether as a new student at the University of Minnesota, in a new job, or the deserts of Iraq -- if you believe in yourself, you can always find home.

TICKET/PERFORMANCE INFORMATION
The Wiz runs April 11th - 19th, 2008, at the Rarig Center's Stoll Thrust Theatre in the University of Minnesota's West Bank Arts Quarter. For ticket information, call the University Arts Ticket Office at 612.624.2345 or visit the Department of Theatre Arts and Dance.. For group sales information, call 612.625.8878. For additional information please contact Sean M. Nolan at utheatre@umn.edu or call 612.625.4001.

Posted by Walt Jacobs at 04:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Professor Catherine Squires is offering a new course in the spring:
People of Color in the Media.

Posted by Walt Jacobs at 03:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

November 19, 2:30 PM, 207A Lind Hall

eNow! presents "Weird" Englishes:

English associate professor Evelyn Ch'ien will address the question "Is English Getting Weirder?" with special reference to novelist Junot Diaz. Visiting professor Steven Winduo will read his poems in the Tokpisin Pidgin language. And Linguistics and Cognitive Science graduate student Ellen Lucast will present "What Do You Know? Theory of Mind in Communication."

Professor Ch'ien is the author of Weird English (Harvard, 2004). She is working on another book linking contemporary forms of artistic expression such as hip hop with the evolution of language. Winduo lectures in literature and language at the University of Papua New Guinea. He has published two poetry collections: Lomo'ha I am, In Sprit's Voice I Call(1991), and Hembemba: Rivers of the Forest(2000). Lucast's research interests range from patterns in linguistic sound systems to the theories behind conversational interaction.

Refreshments will be seved!

Posted by Walt Jacobs at 09:43 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Research and Training Center on Community Living at the Institute on Community Integration will premiere the movie Higher Ground, from award-winning film producer, Jerry Smith.

Date: Thursday, November 15
Place: Mary McEvoy Room (325 Education Sciences Building)
Time: 2:30 p.m.

Synopis: When Hurricane Katrina struck the city of New Orleans on August 29, 2005, hundreds of people with developmental disabilities were displaced. Roads were severely crowded or impassable. Cell phones didn't work. Many didn't know where their family members were. And yet direct support professionals stayed with those they supported and made sure everyone evacuated to higher ground. For months, these dedicated women and men, working long hours for low pay, put others before themselves, providing care and support with improvised resources.

For more information about Jerry Smith and The Research and Training Center on Community Living, visit RTC Media.

Posted by Walt Jacobs at 09:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The university community is invited to upcoming campus forums on November 8 and 9 to discuss a University of Minnesota vision for a vibrant, culturally rich, sustainable community of 20,000 to 30,000 people that leverages the University's academic mission strengths. Consider ways that research, teaching and learning, and public engagement -- especially as they relate to education, energy, the environment, transportation, health and interdisciplinary opportunities, such as arts and culture, housing and other issues -- can improve quality of life for citizens, the new community and the broader region.

The University has initiated a concept master planning process to guide the development of a new community on 5,000 acres of University-owned property in Dakota County. Currently called the University of Minnesota Outreach, Research and Education (UMore) Park, the new community is being developed through a charge by the University's Board of Regents. Development will occur over 25 to 30 years. See the UMore Park website for information on the vision and planning process.

Campus forum dates/places:

• Thursday, Nov. 8, 8 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., North Star Ballroom, 2nd Floor, St. Paul Campus Student Center, St. Paul campus.
• Friday, Nov. 9, 8 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., The Theater, 1st Floor, Coffman Memorial Union, Minneapolis campus.

Please confirm your attendance by registering on the website at the campus forums website. Forum agendas, drafts of the six task force reports, and related information can also be viewed at this site.

Posted by Walt Jacobs at 10:06 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Film Event: The Devil Came on Horseback
With author Brian Steidle

Date: October 24, 2007
Place: Room 25, University of Minnesota Law School
Time: 6:30PM (reception), 7:00PM (film)

Marine Captain Brian Steidle is an unlikely hero. Not because he isn't brave; he has shown courage under fire. But Steidle's accomplishment is entirely unexpected; he is a soldier who is learning to change the world through peaceful means.

The subject is Darfur. The journey takes places over the course of 18 months. Steidle went to Sudan as an unarmed military observer working for the African Union. He left as a witness to what many believe is genocide in the western Darfur region, a conflict that has claimed 400,000 lives and displaced 2.5 million people. In the transformation from soldier to observer to witness and activist, we see a man at first confounded by his naivete and the confronted by the urgency of a humanitarian catastrophe that he sees unfolding firsthand.

An everyman figure, Steidle is initially unequipped to absorb the horror around him. Like many, he would rather not engage with something so incomprehensible and terrible. But he does, and Annie Sundberg and Ricki Stern's (co-directors of the award winning documentary The Trials of Darryl Hunt) astonishing film journeys from Darfur to the United States, then to Chad, Rwanda, and finally the United States again. His odyssey becomes ours as the more than 1,000 photographs he took become evidence of a crisis that cannot be denied.

The Law School is located at 229 19th Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55455. This event is sponsored by the Human Rights Center, Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies and the Minnesota International Center. For more information please contact the Human Rights Center at humanrts@umn.edu or 612-626-0041.

Posted by Walt Jacobs at 08:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

On October 3, 2007 the Black Student Union is hosting a play. Here is an announcement:

Theatre enthusiasts, history buffs, faculty, staff, students and community members, The University of Minnesota Black Student Union would like to remind you and cordially invite you to Stogie Kenyatta's Acclaimed One Man Show, "The World Is My Home-The Life Of Paul Robeson." The play is (Today) Wednesday October 3rd at 7:00PM in Coffman Theatre and it is totally free.

Paul Robeson was a multi-lingual American actor, athlete, Socialist, bass-baritone concert singer, writer, civil rights activist, Fellow traveler, Spingarn Medal winner, a Brother of Alpha Phi Alpha, and a Stalin Peace Prize laureate. Kenyatta travels all across the country doing this show about the life of the great Paul Robeson. This event is completely FREE and you will leave amazed. Don't pass up this FREE grade A performance!!!

Please let your students, colleagues, and friends know about tonight's performance as it is a chance to learn about American History and enjoy fine theatre.

Posted by Walt Jacobs at 09:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The History Department has a faculty position open in African history. More information and application instructions can be found at the top of the History Department faculty searches page.

Posted by Walt Jacobs at 08:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Have a question while walking around campus during the first week of classes (September 4-7)? Stop a person wearing an "Ask Me!" sticker or button! If you are a campus veteran, pick up a sticker at one of three locations:

• Coffman Union - Gopher Express and Student Activities Office
• St. Paul Student Center - Information Desk
• West Bank Skyway - Information Desk/Postal Station

Posted by Walt Jacobs at 09:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)