Leading ethnic relations scholar to discuss American racism, Thursday, March 29, 2007

POUGHKEEPSIE, NY – Eduardo Bonilla-Silva, a leading ethnic relations scholar, will discuss "Race, Citizenship, and Color-Blindness," on Thursday, March 29, at 5:30 p.m., in the College Center's Villard Room. A book signing will follow the lecture, and both events are free and open to the public.

In his talk, Bonilla-Silva, professor of sociology at Duke University, will use material from his recently expanded book Racism Without Racists (2006) to discuss the position of minorities in contemporary America. He will frame the discussion with enlightenment notions of "the citizen" and pertinent elements from U.S. history. Bonilla-Silva will conclude his discussion with a prognosis of the role of "racial progressives" in twenty-first century America.

[Left: Eduardo Bonilla-Silva] After authoring "Rethinking Racism: Toward a Structural Interpretation" in 1997 for the American Sociological Review, Bonilla-Silva gained visibility by challenging social scientists to reanalyze what he perceived to be their prejudiced perspectives. His research has appeared in several journals, including the American Sociological Review, Sociological Inquiry, Racial and Ethnic Studies, Race and Society, and the Journal of Latin American Studies. Bonilla-Silva is also the author of White Supremacy and Racism in the Post-Civil Rights Era, the co-winner of the American Sociological Association's Oliver Cox Cromwell Award in 2002, and White Out: The Continuing Significance of Racism (with Ashley Doane, in 2003). Bonilla-Silva is currently working on a book that examines the racial characteristics of America, provisionally titled We Are All Americans: The Latin Americanization of Racial Stratification in the USA.

This event is sponsored by the Black Students Union (BSU), the Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Office, the ALANA Center/Campus Life Office, Poder Latino, the Council of Black Seniors, the Africana Studies Program, the American Culture Program, and the Vassar Student Organization (VSA).

Vassar College is a highly selective, coeducational, independent, residential liberal arts college founded in 1861.

Individuals with disabilities requiring accommodations or information on accessibility should contact Campus Activities Office at (845) 437-5370. Without sufficient notice, appropriate space and/or assistance may not be available.

Vassar College is a highly selective, coeducational, independent, residential liberal arts college founded in 1861.

This article was posted on Friday, March 16th, 2007.