Black Studies

Asian Americans, the fastest growing immigrant group in the US, are increasingly voting for Democrats. High rates of Democratic support are notable among Asian Americans because many have high incomes, immigrated from communist countries, or are Evangelical Christians. Why do Asian Americans vote for Democrats despite these conservative predispositions?

“Nothing is more intimate than your body in the world” – Alice Randall

NY Times bestselling author & activist Alice Randall joins artist & Middlebury scholar-in-residence Carolyn Finney for a conversation where they give up the “t” on the intimate experience of being a black body on a green and imperiled planet. 

Join them as they go off the beaten path to dig into self-care, allyship, Black possibility and the art of living. 

What would a Black Walden Pond look like? 

Muslims in the United States have become one of the most politically salient minority groups since the advent of 9/11, yet we have a limited understanding of what motivates their political engagement. Current political participation does not offer a comprehensive understanding of what motivates the community-based political behavior of Muslims. I introduce ummah consciousness as a construct to identify what motivates the political engagement of Muslims in the U.S.

Climbing, hiking and hanging outdoors - what does the N word have to do with outdoor recreation and all things green? Cultural appropriation.  Invisibility.  DEI.  It’s not easy being green.  And why should we care?

Many worry that uncivil discourse can undermine democratic processes. Yet, what exactly does it mean for discourse to be uncivil? In an experiment on white Americans, I randomly vary several features of uncivil discourse to see which features more strongly trigger people’s perceptions of incivility. I find that white Americans’ perceptions of incivility are extremely subject to societal and personal biases.

Public opinion on immigrants and immigration varies wildly and support for these vulnerable populations is subject to ideas of deservingness and threat. These ideas, I argue, are filtered through racial identities that are heightened when individuals believe terrorist threats may be possible in their immediate areas. These racial identities are complex and change the ideas of who is dangerous or worthy of support for entry to the United States.

Join us for a discussion with Alexis Pauline Gumbs about her book entitled Undrowned: Black Feminist Lessons from Marine Mammals.

Register in advance for this webinar here. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

The Rohatyn Center for Global Affairs Program on Anti-Racist Theory and Action around the Globe presents Robin D.G. Kelley, Distinguished Professor of History and African American Studies at UCLA and Gary B. Nash Endowed Chair in U.S. History, speaking about “Black Spring, White Winter: Reflections on the Long History of the Black Radical Tradition in a Fascist World.”

Please join us for a Zoom talk with Dr. Nell Irvin Painter.

Biologist Richard Goldsby and anthropologist Mary Catherine Bateson discuss their new book on the genetic and social structural aspects of race and racism.