Rethinking Race 2017: Taking on the ‘elephant in the room’

From a screening of the new film “Loving” to keynote speakers who will challenge audience members to confront their own biases, “Rethinking Race: Black White and Beyond” at The University of Akron promises to be provocative, entertaining and educational.

The two-week forum of events, which focuses on race and race-related issues, is now in its 10^th year. It was launched in 2007 on the 10^th anniversary of President Bill Clinton’s visit to UA to host his first Town Hall Meeting on Race. This year’s forum schedule extends from Feb. 1 through Feb. 19 and all events are free and open to the public.

“The ‘Black White and Beyond’ part of our title tends to be the theme each year,” says Dr. Amy Shriver Dreussi, a professor of social science and forum chair. “We have so much to talk about, and yet race is a difficult subject to broach. It’s often the elephant in the room.

“We hope that by providing a safe space to have these conversations and talking about race in the broadest possible way, we can move things forward. That helps all of us,” Dreussi says. “I know every year I learn new things.”

The 2017 “Rethinking Race: Black White and Beyond” calendar offers more than 40 events — speakers, films, music performances and faculty-led conversations on a variety of topics.

Among the forum highlights are keynote speakers:

• Jane Elliott, internationally known teacher, lecturer and diversity trainer, will speak at 6 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 6, in E.J. Thomas Performing Arts Hall. Her presentation includes a short film and time for questions. Elliott is perhaps best known for her “Blue Eyes/Brown Eyes” exercise — participants are labeled inferior or superior based only on the color of their eyes — exposing them to the experience of being a minority. Note: doors will open at 5 p.m. and general seating will begin at 5:30 p.m. — first-come, first-seated. No ticket is needed, but online registration is strongly encouraged at Rethinking Race. 

• Mahzarin Banaji, author of "Blindspot: Hidden Biases of Good People," will speak at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 9, in Quaker Station, 135 South Broadway. Her presentation is based on the science of how people make decisions about the worth, goodness and competence of others. 

• Nina Turner, former state senator in Ohio, college professor, motivational speaker, media commentator and author will speak at 7 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 13, in the Student Union Theatre.

Among the films to be shown in the Student Union Theatre are:

• “Race,” the story of Olympic legend Jesse Owens, will be shown on Feb. 8 at 8 p.m. In choosing to compete in the 1936 Olympics, Owens had to overcome not only elite competition, but also the brutal climate of Adolf Hitler’s

• La Operacion (The Operation), will be shown on Feb. 9 from noon to 12:45. This documentary interviews working-class and middle-class women of differing racial and ethnic backgrounds who live on an island in Puerto Rico that has he highest rate of female sterilization in the world. 

• “Loving,” based on the real life story of an interracial couple, will be shown on Feb. 10 and 11 at 8 p.m. Their civil rights case, Loving v. Virginia, went all the way to the Supreme Court, which in 1967 reaffirmed the very foundation of the right to marry.

Many individuals from across campus have joined Dreussi in organizing this year’s forum. They include:

• Dr. Stephen Brooks, chair, and Alexandra Carter, Face-2-Face Conversations About Race Committee.  
• Kathy DuBose, chair, Assessment Committee.
• Dr. Travis Hreno and Darnell Davis, chairs, Faculty Resources/Training/Recruitment Committee.
• David Vale, chair, Film Festival. 
• Steve Sedlock, chair, Marketing Committee.
• Jenna Brown organized volunteer recruitment and training. 
• Heather Pollock organized the DNA Ancestry.com project. 

Visit “Rethinking Race; Black White and Beyond” for more information.