BLACK SCHOLAR-ACTIVIST FORUM Social Change Perspectives, Past, Present and Future
In honor of Black History Month
Panel with John Burris, Esq, Richard Lawrence, MDiv and Jake Sloan, MA Vera Labat, MPH, Moderator
Saturday, February 24th, 10am to 12:30pm
PLEASE RSVP [email protected] if you plan to attend and if you want to participate by phone or videoconference.
There will be light refreshments.
WISR’s Black Scholar-Activist forum seminar series is in recognition of the many WISR Alumni, current students and faculty who are African American Scholar-Activists.
WISR’s Multicultural Scholars Forum Series aims to cultivate discussion honoring scholarship from different backgrounds. Going beyond identity politics, WISR strives to cultivate a sense of thinking beyond just one identity on cultural understanding, toward multiculturalism. WISR also strives to develop understanding of the political and economic dynamics that affect the society as a whole, and those that contribute to inequality and injustice.
John Leonard Burris, Esq., has been a civil rights lawyer for almost 40 years and has represented over 1,000 victims of police misconduct, thousands in class action employment and toxic tort cases, defendants in many serious criminal cases, and an array of high profile public figures and professional athletes. His clients included Rodney King and Oscar Grant’s family. He is author of Blue vs. Black: Let’s End the Conflict between Police and Minorities.
Richard Lawrence, MDiv., Faculty Emeritus, recently authored Light, Bright, Damn Near White: Stories and Reflections of a Multi-Racial Black Man’s Battles with Racism in America. He is also is a retired Methodist clergyman who continues his commitment to social justice and serves as co-chair of the San Diego Affordable Housing Coalition. Rev. Lawrence marched with Dr. King at Selma and Chicago.
Jake Sloan, MA, WISR PhD Student and Faculty, recently authored Standing Tall: Willie Long And the Mare Island Original 21ers, A Legacy of Courage, Activism, and Social Justice. Mr. Sloan’s studies at WISR focus on how inequality impacts the daily lives and prospects for success of a growing number of African Americans. He will discuss current trends in education and the need to develop leaders in the African American community who will make a commitment to maximize social, political and economic power for that community.
Vera Labat MPH, WISR Faculty, is also a retired health care administrator and nurse. She has traveled throughout the world inquiring into ways to create peaceful social change in the quest for justice and equality.
Cosponsored by the African American Development Institute, the Berkeley Black Repertory Theater, KPFA, Andrew University (Berkeley), Dr. Nathan Hare (The Black Think Tank), and Marcus Books.