Oct 5, 2020
Dear Campus Community,
I am writing to invite you to participate in a month-long series of events in response to the Pulitzer Prize winning The New York Times 1619 Project. Organized by the UCI Humanities Center, this timely series brings together scholars, thought leaders and activists to consider the impact of slavery in the making of the United States and on the lives of Black people in the past and present. The series is free and open to all campus members.
The series opens on Thursday, October 8 with a focus on “The 1619 Project and the Matter of Black Lives” and closes on Thursday, October 29 with The New York Times writer and editor of the 1619 Project Nikole Hannah-Jones on the “Long Legacy of Slavery and the Current State of Race Relations.” Between these events, the series will host five panel discussions that explore the cultural responses, political challenges, financial legacies, and health consequences to slavery, segregation, and the persistence of anti-Blackness in the United States.
The 1619 Project aligns with the UCI Black Thriving Initiative, which recognizes and responds to anti-Blackness as an existential threat to the mission of UCI. It relies on and mobilizes the entire campus community to be accountable for confronting anti-Blackness while building a culture where Black people thrive. The 1619 Project provides opportunities for undergraduate students, graduate students, faculty and staff as well as alumni and community members to advance the three action platforms of the UCI Black Thriving Initiative, including:
- Change the Culture: Accountability Begins with Understanding
- Leverage the Mission: Advance the Understanding of the Black Experience and Drivers of Well-Being
- Engage Communities: Linking UCI’s Future to the Success of Black People.
For more information about the 1619 Project series, please visit https://www.humanities.uci.edu/humanitiescenter/programs/1619.php
Douglas M. Haynes, Ph.D. (Pronouns: he/him/his)
Vice Chancellor for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
Chief Diversity Officer
Director, ADVANCE Program
Professor of History, Humanities