The Center for the Study of Race and Democracy (CSRD) at Arizona State University is launching Race, Place and Civic Genealogies, its newest initiative, with an all-day symposium in the District on June 13.
The inaugural symposium is inspired by the Washington Post series on the histories of U.S. elected officials with ties to enslavement and on a revelatory in-depth article about a longtime Phoenix trailblazer, Carol Coles Henry, and her ancestral connections to enslavement and freedom in Virginia. The CSRD programming underscores the potential for revelatory scholarship and programming that enables intentional and attentive approaches to long-obscured histories.
The symposium starts at 9 a.m. EST at the ASU Barrett and O’Connor Washington Center, 8th Floor Pavilion, located at 1800 I Street NW. The event marks the CSRD’s first ASU event in the city and demonstrates the center’s commitment to expanding its national engagement with audiences.
“There is no better place than ASU D.C. to begin our deliberate study of the powerful connections between race, place and what the center is calling ‘civic genealogies,’” said Lois Brown, director of the center. “This symposium exemplifies our dedication to exploring the deep and complex histories that shape our society.”
Author Joseph McGill will deliver the keynote address.
Go to csrd.asu.edu for registration information.