Linfield College will host a series of Conversation Projects, sponsored by Oregon Humanities, on various topics of diversity this spring.
The first conversation, “White Out? The Future of Racial Diversity in Oregon,” will be led by sociologist Emily Drew on Wednesday, March 9, at 4:30 p.m. in 219 T.J. Day Hall. The Oregon Humanities Conversation Project brings Oregonians together to discuss their differences, beliefs and backgrounds about important issues and ideas.
Drew will lead participants in a conversation about the challenges of creating racially diverse, inclusive communities despite the accomplishments since the civil rights era. Although census data show Oregon’s population becoming more racially diverse, the state remains one of the whitest in the nation. Many Oregonians value racial diversity and the dimension and depth it adds to our lives, yet we remain largely isolated from one another and have yet to fulfill the vision of a racially integrated society.
Drew is an associate professor of sociology at Willamette University, where she teaches courses about racism, race and ethnicity, immigration and social change. Her primary areas of research involve understanding how race and racism operate inside of institutions. Drew serves as a co-trainer of “Understanding Institutional Racism” workshops for Crossroads Anti-Racism Organizing and Training.
In addition to the March event, two other Conversation Projects will be held at Linfield this spring. “Northwest Mixtape: Hip Hop Culture and Influences” will be held on Monday, April 4, and “Mind the Gaps: How Gender Shapes our Lives” will take place on Wednesday, May 4. Both conversations will be at 4:30 p.m. in 219 T.J. Day Hall.
The discussions are free and open to the public. For more information, contact Reshmi Dutt-Ballerstadt, Linfield professor of English, at 503-883-2485 or rdutt-b@linfield.edu.
