Unpacking Anti-Blackness in Thought and Practice

Venmo reparations, #BlackLivesMatter yard signs, solidarity statements and black squares. In the past few months, people have been grappling with and fumbling through the long overdue conversation on racism in our country. Much of this conversation revolves around “anti-Blackness.” But what does anti-Blackness mean, and how does anti-Blackness work systemically? What does anti-Blackness look like beyond slavery and police brutality, and why does it continue to persist? What role does the university play in breaking the cycle of anti-Black ideologies and practices? In the first program of the Anti-Racism Toolkit programming series, we attempt to grapple with these questions and more with scholar-activists shaping the conversation.

Speakers:

• Dr. Chinyere Oparah, Provost and Dean of Faculty at Mills College
• Dr. Sarah Mayorga, Professor of Sociology at Brandeis University