Event Description

In 2008, a country still haunted by the ghosts of slavery chose a Black man as its leader. It was a moment filled with optimism, and considered by many a turning point for race relations.

In 2016, things feel different. We are a country at a crossroads. #BlackLivesMatter, concerns over immigrants and refugees, police shootings, and political correctness have all combined to make people of all backgrounds feel uneasy about US race relations. A poll from July 2016 found that 69% of Americans say that race relations are “generally bad”—the highest level of tension recorded since the Rodney King beating in 1992.

Following the killing of five police officers in Dallas, Obama said: “It’s as if the deepest fault lines of our democracy have suddenly been exposed, perhaps even widened.”

The week after the 2016 election, join us as we examine those fault lines to understand the state of race in America. What attitudes and perceptions about race are true, and what are myths? Will we ever—should we ever—move beyond our country’s past sins? Is the term “White privilege” just a synonym for “White guilt?”

This Think & Drink event features Seattle Central College professor and writer Daudi Abe and Pacific Lutheran University sociologist Teresa Ciabattari. Moderated by Humanities Washington’s Zaki Hamid.

No registration required, and this event is free and open to the public.