WKSU Stories

Akron's Rethinking Race Conference Addresses Controversial Current Events

Ideastream Public Media | By Brooke Forrest

Published January 31, 2018 at 2:14 PM EST

Akron students and community members take part in Face 2 Face (F2F) conversations dealing with race and racial conflict during the annual Rethinking Race conference.

The University of Akron’s annual Rethinking Race conference kicks off this Friday. The two-week forum, which includes lectures and discussions, film screenings and plays is now in its eleventh year.

Amy Shriver Dreussi is a professor of social science at the university and one of the organizers of the conference. She says it’s evolved over time in response to current events.

“You know I think we can look at the headlines and we can realize that these issues of race are still very important and very volatile and the need for greater understanding is still pertinent,” said Dreussi.

There are about 60 events over the next two weeks covering topics including taking a knee, patriotism in the age of Trump and the fight against sexual violence.

Rethinking Race is free and open to the public.