New York University’s Gallatin School of Individualized Study will host “Race: Construct or Reality? Conversations about Race in America”-a series of Black History Month events, Feb. 7-21, at various venues on the NYU campus. The events are free and open to the public (ID required for entry). Seating on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information, call 212.998-7380. Subway lines: A, B, C, D, E, F, V (West 4th Street); R, W (8th Street); 6 (Astor Place).
Strange Fruit
A film screening
Thurs., Feb. 7, 6:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
The Bronfman Center
7 East 10th Street (5th Avenue and University Place)
Strange Fruit is the anti-lynching poem that was written and set to music by Abel Meeropol, a schoolteacher from the Bronx. The haunting ballad, made famous by jazz icon Billie Holiday, remains one of the most influential protest songs ever written. Strange Fruit brings viewers face to face with the terror of lynching as it spotlights the courage and heroism of those who fought for racial and social justice. Gallatin Professor Michael Dinwiddie will introduce the film.
Courageous Conversations: The Politics of Race
A discussion
Tues., Feb. 12, 12:30 p.m. - 1:45 p.m.
The Gallatin School
715 Broadway, Room 501
This conversation with Gallatin Professor George Shulman will explore three basic questions: How are we to understand the idea of race? What explains the persistence but also the reworking of racial categories? What should be our political goal in regard to racial categories and to the inequality with which they have always been tested?
Courageous Conversations: Multicultural Perspectives on Race in America
A forum
Thurs., Feb. 21, 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
The Kimmel Center for University Life, Room 914
60 Washington Square South
For many, race is a theoretical construct. For others, it is an everyday reality. An open exchange of ideas and experiences helps us build respect for our differences and reveals our many similarities. Facilitators: Justin Lorts, associate faculty, Gallatin School; Toni Armstrong, Gallatin student. Other participants include: Noel Leader, NYPD and co-founder of 100 Blacks in Law Enforcement Who Care; Bree Picower, assistant professor, NYU’s Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development; Millery Polyne, assistant professor, Gallatin School; Valeria Treves, executive director, New Immigrant Community Empowerment; Jack Tchen, associate professor, Gallatin School, and director of NYU’s Asian/Pacific/American Studies Program.
Editor’s Note:
The Gallatin School of Individualized Study is a small innovative college within New York University. Gallatin gives students the opportunity to design a program of study tailored to their own needs and interests. The key to Gallatin’s educational approach is its close supervision of the student’s course of study by its faculty advisers. Students pursue individual interests by taking courses in the various schools of NYU, engaging in self-directed education through independent studies and participating in experiential learning through internships at New York City’s countless institutions, businesses, and arts organizations. Undergraduates experience a thorough grounding in the history of ideas and great books, and graduate students pursue advanced study in interdisciplinary modes of thought.