In November 2020, Professor Joseph Richardson shared a lecture titled “Life After the Gunshot: A Digital Storytelling Project.” This project chronicles the lives of 10 black men who were victims of gun violence and treated at UMDs Prince George’s hospital center, where they participated in the Capital Region Violence Intervention Project.

In his 2014 Annual Lecture, “The Problem of Racism in “Post-Racial” America,” Dr. Eduardo Bonilla-Silva discusses how discourse around race and racism had changed in the preceding years. Looking back at this lecture from our current vantage point, given the Trump presidency and his continued influence over the country, we can see new perspectives and fallacies in the idea that racism is an issue that exists only in the past.

The next lecture we are going to be looking back on is the Annual lecture from 2020, "Conversation on Climate Science, Policy & Justice with Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson." Dr. Johnson answers questions about her book in a conversation moderated by Drs. Hoda Mahmoudi and Rashawn Ray. She describes the frustration of seeing a small group of white men being considered thought leaders in climate change. However, she knew that most women who are doing the most important climate work don't have time to take a break and write a book, one of the most traditional paths to thought leadership.

We are so excited to be taking a look back at some of our past annual lectures as we gear up for the Chair’s 30th anniversary.

We are starting this series with the address from 2018, “Deconstructing Race / Reconstructing Difference,” delivered by Dr. Jabari Mahiri. He centered his talk on ways to move and change so future generations won’t have to face the same inequities brought about by race. His argument centers around the social construction and performance of race. Despite the lack of scientific proof, race is a social fact, and the implications of the social perceptions of race are very real.