A new forum series was launched at UNC Greensboro in June 2020 called “Race and Racism in American History.” The first part of this online forum series was held on June 25, and included upwards of 80 participants (despite being Zoom-bombed and having to quickly re-group). The forum is exploring the nationwide protests underway within the broader context of race and racism in American history with a panel of scholars, artists, and community organizers. The online event is hosted by historian Dr. Omar Ali, community organizer and spoken word artist Tiera Moore, and UNCG biochemistry graduate student Tamera Jones.
The forum was born out of a series of meetings with people in the community over the summer in response to the nationwide Black Lives Matter uprisings – students, teachers, a civil rights attorney, a former black police officer, artists, and community organizers. During the meetings, several materials have been used as launching points for discussions. Below is what may be considered a syllabus-in-the making: a reading of “What to the slave is the Fourth of July” by Frederick Douglass’s descendants, a clip from James Baldwin at Cambridge University, and Kimberly Jones’ video “How Can We Win?”