{"643383":{"#nid":"643383","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Race Beyond Borders: New AGSC-led Initiative to Explore Atlanta\u2019s Role in Global Conversation on Race","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EOne of the defining characteristics of 2020 was a national realization that despite the progress of the last century, racism is still all too embedded in American society.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EFor some, the death of\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorge Floyd\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;and the amplification of the Black Lives Matter movement was a wakeup call. For others, it was simply further proof that those in power have been willfully ignorant when it comes to topics like mass incarceration, economic inequality and police violence.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EUnderpinning the calls for lasting change, the soul-searching in corporate board rooms and the efforts to assist minority-owned businesses and grow Black wealth was a new consensus:\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003EWe\u0026rsquo;ve talked enough; concrete action is needed to finally right the scales.\u003C\/em\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EBut the issue is not as black and white \u0026mdash; or as strictly American \u0026mdash; as it is traditionally presented, according to scholars who study issues of race, identity and how these constructs have impacted societies around the world.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EGetting to a real fix, they say, requires embracing the nuances that scholarly work on these issues has revealed locally and globally \u0026mdash; even if the answers aren\u0026rsquo;t easy and paradigms aren\u0026rsquo;t one-size-fits-all.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ECorralled by the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/atlantaglobalstudies.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAtlanta Global Studies Center\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, a\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.globalatlanta.com\/georgia-state-and-georgia-tech-receive-2-5-million-grant-for-atlanta-global-studies-center\/\u0022\u003Efederally funded\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;higher education hub jointly housed at\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Tech\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;and\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia State\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EUniversity\u003C\/strong\u003E, a group of partners has come together to address the role of \u0026ldquo;The city too busy to hate\u0026rdquo; \u0026mdash; and the home of\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EMartin Luther King Jr.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u0026mdash; in the global conversation of the day.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Integrating global perspectives in addressing inequities that negatively affect the Atlanta region is critical at this moment in time,\u0026rdquo; said\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EAnna Westerstahl Stenport\u003C\/strong\u003E, the center\u0026rsquo;s co-director and chair of the\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003ESchool of Modern Languages\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;at Georgia Tech. \u0026ldquo;Higher education has a strong opportunity here to lead by example through crossing multiple divides across academia, as well as between academia and community and the public and private sectors.\u0026rdquo;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EStarting Feb. 5, just after Black History Month begins, a virtual launch event will feature local academics exploring \u0026ldquo;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/atlantaglobalstudies.gatech.edu\/events\/item\/643028\/race-beyond-borders-understanding-race-global-concept-power-access-policy\u0022\u003EUnderstanding Race as a Global Concept: Power, Access, and Policy\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026rdquo; presenting views that will help shape views of what race actually is \u0026mdash; and isn\u0026rsquo;t.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EElizabeth West,\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;professor of English and Africana Literatures and Cultures at Georgia State, said her comments will look at this foundational question.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;I anticipate challenging attendees to rethink how we have come to accept definitions of humans along artificial constructs of race\u0026mdash;that are grounded in no science \u0026mdash; and how that informs our interactions and engagements in our own society and our interpretations of populations abroad,\u0026rdquo; said Dr. West, who also serves as the co-director of academics for Georgia State\u0026rsquo;s\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/csad.gsu.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECenter for Studies of Africa and Its Diaspora\u003C\/strong\u003E.\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIt\u0026rsquo;s not the race isn\u0026rsquo;t a real weapon, but in her view and that of other panelists, listeners should explore the idea that it was purposefully created to perpetuate inequality.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Race is a social construct but also embodied in various ways and is constructed for wielding power,\u0026rdquo; said\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EPushpa Parekh\u003C\/strong\u003E, another panelist for the launch event, who directs the African Diaspora and the World program at\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003ESpelman College\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;and\u0026nbsp;hopes the\u0026nbsp;event series will push innovative conversation into the world and out of the academic realm.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Race and racial stratification, as well as racial problems, need to be talked about more openly in order to question the race problem in its current forms and make connections among various structures of oppression in the world,\u0026rdquo; Dr. Parekh said.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe opportunities for weaving global issues with local experiences is nearly endless, ranging from the big historical problems like colonialism and slavery to national structures like segregation in the U.S. to apartheid in South Africa.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDorian Brown Crosby\u003C\/strong\u003E, director of cultural orientation and an assistant professor of political science at Spelman,\u0026nbsp;noted that even within a city like Atlanta, racism can be experienced differently based on the person\u0026rsquo;s origin.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;I hope to leave the audience with a better understanding of how global and\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;local racism impact resettled African refugees in the United States,\u0026rdquo; said Dr. Crosby, who has worked extensively with\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003ESomali\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;refugees in resettled in\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EClarkston\u003C\/strong\u003E, Ga. Planning for Race Beyond Borders has involved multiple meetings bringing together scholars that all have been universally refreshed by the exchange of ideas, even as they noted how vital it is to ensure they aren\u0026rsquo;t confined to private call.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;An important tangible outcome for us is to make the great scholarship and expertise we have in our region known. We want to strengthen and make known all the incredible resources and expertise on this topic right here in Atlanta. We want to build a culture, community and friendship that organizations, communities, businesses are aware of and feel they can reach out to,\u0026rdquo; Dr. Stenport said.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EShe added that the events will be free and open to the public and students, while recordings will be logged to create a lasting library of these vital conversations the community can draw upon in the future.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EOther speakers at the event are to include\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003ESheryl Heron\u003C\/strong\u003E, associate dean for community engagement, equity and inclusion and professor of emergency medicine at\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;Emory University\u003C\/strong\u003E; and\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EJulius Coles\u003C\/strong\u003E, honorary consul of\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003ESenegal\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003Ein Atlanta.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe conversation will be moderated by\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EJennie Ward-Robinson\u003C\/strong\u003E, co-director of operations and outreach at the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/csad.gsu.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECenter for Studies on Africa and Its Diaspora\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;at Georgia State University.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026mdash;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EFor more information on the series, visit the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/atlantaglobalstudies.gatech.edu\/Race-Beyond-Borders\u0022\u003ERace Beyond Borders page on the Atlanta Global Studies Center website\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ETo learn more about the Feb. 5 launch, see the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/atlantaglobalstudies.gatech.edu\/events\/item\/643028\/race-beyond-borders-understanding-race-global-concept-power-access-policy\u0022\u003Eevent listing on AGSC\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/a\u003Eor sign up directly\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/us02web.zoom.us\/meeting\/register\/tZMuce-prz0rEt0oJWFeJ1MsaNxIAC_ztGZo\u0022\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003ENote: This article written by\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003ETrevor Williams\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;first appeared on the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.globalatlanta.com\/race-beyond-borders-series-to-explore-atlantas-role-in-global-conversation-on-race\/\u0022\u003EGlobal Atlanta\u003C\/a\u003E website Jan. 18, 2021.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003EIt\u0026nbsp;is re-published with permission\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"New AGSC-led Initiative to Explore Atlanta\u2019s Role in Global Conversation on Race"}],"field_summary":"","field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Corralled by the Atlanta Global Studies Center, a group of higher education partners and the Mayor\u2019s Office of International Affairs have come together to address the role of \u201cThe city too busy to hate\u201d in the global conversation on race."}],"uid":"35116","created_gmt":"2021-01-25 01:28:13","changed_gmt":"2021-01-28 16:21:28","author":"aozkan30","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2021-01-24T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2021-01-24T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"643027":{"id":"643027","type":"image","title":"Race Beyond Borders","body":null,"created":"1610834598","gmt_created":"2021-01-16 22:03:18","changed":"1610834598","gmt_changed":"2021-01-16 22:03:18","alt":"Race Beyond Borders","file":{"fid":"244166","name":"RaceBeyondBorders.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/RaceBeyondBorders.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/RaceBeyondBorders.png","mime":"image\/png","size":788404,"path_740":"http:\/\/tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/RaceBeyondBorders.png?itok=CNwG6bib"}}},"media_ids":["643027"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/atlantaglobalstudies.gatech.edu\/Race-Beyond-Borders","title":"Race Beyond Borders webpage"}],"groups":[{"id":"612000","name":"Atlanta Global Studies Center (AGSC)"},{"id":"611608","name":"Global Media and Cultures (GMC)"},{"id":"1284","name":"School of Modern Languages"},{"id":"1281","name":"Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"},{"id":"42901","name":"Community"},{"id":"42911","name":"Education"},{"id":"133","name":"Special Events and Guest Speakers"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"},{"id":"151","name":"Policy, Social Sciences, and Liberal Arts"}],"keywords":[{"id":"1841","name":"race"},{"id":"289","name":"Global"},{"id":"489","name":"atlanta"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39511","name":"Public Service, Leadership, and Policy"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EDr. Sebnem Ozkan, AGSC Associate Director,\u0026nbsp;sebnem.ozkan@gatech.edu\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["sebnem.ozkan@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}