In This Story
Originally published on June 30, 2020
The Schar School of Policy and Government will present a series of virtual webinars examining different aspects of “Social Justice in America” July 13 to July 17. Schar School faculty members will moderate discussions and add their academic expertise to dialogues with former elected officials, current practitioners, journalists, and leaders in organizations involved in human and civil rights.
Mark J. Rozell, dean of the Schar School, will host the hour-long sessions. A question-and-answer period with viewers of the virtual panels will follow each discussion. Each webinar will begin at noon. The sessions are free and open to the public; registration information follows.
Monday, July 13, 12 p.m. EDT:
“Social Justice in America: Evolving State and Local Politics”
Former Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe, a Distinguished Visiting Professor at the Schar School, and Dean Mark J. Rozell discuss how local leadership has responded—and how they should respond—to racial inequities and civil protests. McAuliffe was serving his last year as governor when a white nationalists rally in Charlottesville turned deadly.
Tuesday, July 14 12 p.m. EDT:
“Social Justice in America: Local Politics, Prisons, and the Welfare State”
Join Assistant Professor Christopher Berk and Associate Professor Mariely López-Santana of the Schar School for a timely discussion of prisons and the welfare state. They'll be in a roundtable conversation with Professor Rachel Barkow (NYU Law), Professor Lisa Miller (Rutgers), and Assistant Professor Marcus Board (Georgetown) about the political challenges and opportunities for prison reform in the wake of COVID-19 and the deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor.
Wednesday, July 15, 12 p.m. EDT:
“Social Justice in America: Forgotten Issues? Immigration and Latino Populations”
Associate Professor Guadalupe Correa-Cabrera, one of the foremost experts on U.S.-Mexico border security, explores the issue of social justice among Latino and immigrant populations. Guests include Sindy Benavides, chief executive officer of the League of United Latin American Citizens; Alfredo Corchado, Mexico City bureau chief of the Dallas Morning News; Andrew Selee, president of the Migration Policy Institute; and Tony Payan, director of the Center for the United States and Mexico at the Baker Institute.
Thursday, July 16, 12 p.m. EDT:
"Social Justice in America: Race, Education, and Unequal Opportunity"
The panelist will discuss the sources and consequences of racial discrimination and resulting social injustice in America. The conversation will focus on how unequal opportunity in education and labor markets has originated and persisted over time. Moreover, the lack of level playing field in the economic realm has also permeated the workings of the executive, legislative, and judicial branches to perpetuate political power concentration along racial lines. Panelists will explore what factors can break the cycle of economic and political inequality, including dealing with the historical origins of civil injustice, uneven schooling opportunities, labor market discrimination, and the future of work and education. This webinar will be moderated by Maurice Kugler, Professor of Public Policy, Schar School of Policy and Government, GMU, and CSSR Research Associate. Guests include Nadine Chapman, Esq., Senior HR Manager, World Bank Group; Trevon Logan, Hazel C. Youngberg Distinguished Professor of Economics, OSU; Lisa Cook, Professor of Economics, MSU; Suresh Naidu, Professor of Economics, Columbia University; and William Spriggs, Professor of Economics, Howard University.
Friday, July 17, 12 p.m. EDT:
“Social Justice in America: Human Rights and the Practice of U.S. Foreign Policy”
U.S. foreign policy faces a two-fold social justice problem: Diversity in the Department of State does not reflect American society, and realpolitik and realism inhibit the idealism required to create a human rights policy that supports just societies globally. Former U.S. Ambassador and Distinguished Visiting Professor Richard Kauzlarich welcomes guests Ambassador (ret.) Nancy McEldowney, Distinguished Professor of Practice and director of the Master of Science in Foreign Service Program at Georgetown University; Ambassador (ret.) C. Steven McGann, founder of the global consulting firm Stevenson Group; Ambassador (ret) Harry Thomas, Senior Fellow at the Jackson Institute for Global Affairs at Yale University; and Uzra Zaya, CEO and president of Alliance for Peacebuilding.