This was a cross-disciplinary discussion on racism as a public health and economic crisis, with a focus on action. Presenters included Leah Wright Rigueur, PhD, Harry Truman Associate Professor of History, Brandeis University; Bill Rodgers, PhD, Chief Economist, Heldrich Center for Workforce Development, Rutgers University; Anita Hill, JD, Professor of Social Policy, Law and Women's Gender and Sexuality Studies, Brandeis University; and moderated by Maria Madison, ScD, Associate Dean, Equity, Inclusion and Diversity, The Heller School, Brandeis University. Watch the recording.
As we approach the next presidential election, we are reminded of the people helping to pass voting rights through the 15th, 19th and 26th Amendments to the Constitution. Fannie Lou Hamer captured the frustration with her famous quote we use for the title of this session. We are also mindful of the role of the political and moral determinants of health and financial equity. These variables partnered with our outrage over continued violence by police against black and brown bodies, fuels our desire for this conversation now across multidisciplinary scholars. This session highlighted the historical and current context of racism in the United States. Carrying forward the legacies for activism established throughout history, participants discussed structural, systemic and personal methodologies, for social justice activism.
This event is sponsored by the Institute on Assets and Social Policy, the Heller Students Association and the Office of the Dean at the Heller School, and by the Department of African and African American Studies and Brandeis Black Graduate Student Association, Brandeis University.