The United States is undoubtedly undergoing a period of reckoning over race, not only a reexamination of our historical past, but a present-day challenge to what many perceive as institutional racism, injustice in policing and judicial systems, inequality of opportunity based on race and ethnicity, and a lack of diversity in our public institutions which serves to perpetuate inequities and minimize the claims of those who feel underrepresented. We invite you to join us on Thursday, October 22, from 5:30-7:00 p.m., for “Pursuing Racial Justice,” the first program in the 2020-2021 season of WorldCanvass. 

Guests on the February 22 WorldCanvass will explore the critical role of archives in our everyday lives and historical experience.  Called “Against Amnesia: Archives, Evidence, and Social Justice,” the program is the first event in the Provost’s Global Forum-Obermann Humanities Symposium, the bulk of which will occur on March 1-3.  Panelists will open the virtual doors of archival cabinets and share some of Iowa’s and our nation’s most intriguing stories and little-known history—much of which might be lost if not for the thoughtful care and preservation undertaken by unsung heroes, sometimes at great personal risk. WorldCanvass will take place from 5:30-7 p.m., February 22, at MERGE, 136 South Dubuque Street.  The program is free and open to the public.  Please come early for a pre-show catered reception from 5-5:30 p.m.

What does the American dream look like to you? To your neighbor? How does your life experience compare with that of someone from a different ethnic background, a different economic class, or a different religion? These questions have been at the heart of the 2016 political debate but their roots are as deep and tangled as the history of America itself. With a closely divided electorate, highly-charged rhetoric, and unaccountable social media messaging, the chasm in understanding can seem all but infinite. Joan Kjaer and her guests will discuss thorny, controversial, and critical issues of social justice in contemporary society on “WorldCanvass: White Privilege, Structural Racism, and the Dream of America.” The free, public program takes place on December 7, from 7:30-9:00 p.m., in the Senate Chamber of the Old Capitol Museum.

International writers from the 2015 International Writing Program (IWP) residency will join activists and members of the academic community at 7 p.m. on Friday, October 16, in Art Building West for a special WorldCanvass Studio on “The Human in Human Rights: First Person Global Perspectives.” This is the concluding event in the symposium “Social Justice after Ferguson." Joan Kjaer, host of the monthly WorldCanvass television/radio/internet program produced by International Programs will moderate the discussion.