Lecture and Discussion: The Race Whisperer: Barack Obama and the Political Use of Race

Event number:

17-005

Date:

February 3, 2017, 12.30-14.30 pm

Venue:

LpB Rheinland-Pfalz, Gerty-Spies-Saal
Am Kronberger Hof 6
55116 Mainz 

Partner:

US-Generalkonsulat
Landeszentrale für politische Bildung Rheinland-Pfalz 

Target audience:

Students, activists, general public

Admission:

Admission is free. 

Registration:

You can register for this event by January 30 via email, phone 0631/366 10-0 or fax 0631/366 10-15.

Photo credit: Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson

Speaker:

Dr. Melanye Price

is the author of The Race Whisperer: Barack Obama and the Political Uses of Race. She is Associate Professor of Africana Studies at Rutgers University. She has research and teaching interests in public opinion, black politics, social movements and political psychology.

 

About the event

„In the white community, the path to a more perfect union means acknowledging that what ails the African-American community does not just exist in the minds of black people; that the legacy of discrimination - and current incidents of discrimination, while less overt than in the past - are real and must be addressed.“

These are the words from Barack Obama‘s speech „A More Perfect Union“, held during the heated primary season of 2008. With the end of the Obama administration, it is time to look back and to evaluate the past eight years. What has changed during the tenure of the first African-American president? What are the challenges ahead?

Melanye Price will talk about the Obama years and their impact on the discussion about race and Black communities in particular. There often is the impression that race relations in the United States have gotten worse rather than better. The press reports about police brutality. While that is a story that must be told, there are other stories to tell as well. The recent presidential elections showed that it is a mistake to talk about the Black community as one homogenous block of voters. Most reports never stress the diversity within the Black community.

The Obama presidency provides a unique opportunity to engage in a discussion about race and politics because of his own background, his speeches and remarks on the matter and the multitude of racial questions that have gained more exposure in the past years. In the discussion, we will also look ahead on what to expect from the Trump administration with regard to race relations, the impact on Black communities and the work of activists in the U.S.

The fishbowl-discussion, led by student activists of Color, aims to exchange experiences in antiracist discourses and activism. Which similarities can we see here between the US and Germany? What can we learn from the legacy of African American struggles against racial injustice? Students and activists are very welcome to participate!

 

Program:

Friday, February 3, 2017

12.30-12.15 pm
Welcome Remarks
Marianne Rohde, Landeszentrale für politische Bildung Rheinland-Pfalz
Sarah Wagner, Atlantic Academy
Carrie Lee, Public Affairs Officer, U.S. Consulate General Frankfurt

12.15-13.30 pm
The Race Whisperer: Barack Obama and the Political Use of Race
Dr. Melanya Price, Rutgers University 

13.30–14.30 pm
Fishbowl Discussion
Moderated by student activists of Color