Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity433 Mendenhall Laboratory
125 South Oval Mall
Columbus, OH 43210
www.kirwaninstitute.org
A CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS (1000-2000 words due Monday, May 17, 2010)--*ONLY 5 DAYS LEFT*
Imagine 2042: Visions of a Racial Order Transformed
Imagine that the year is 2042 and that surely, dramatically, and transformatively, the racial landscape of the United States has changed over the course of the century. The long-forecast end of the United States as a white-majority country in that year is only part of the story. Race still matters, but operates now much more often to unify rather than to divide in our social, political, economic and cultural life. Both popular and expert wisdom trace the change to the Obama era that ended a quarter-century earlier – not simply or even mainly because of any big new federal policies implemented during that president’s time in office, but also because of other social and institutional developments that took seed and/or began to flower then. Some social justice oldtimers recall that they wept when Obama, our first nonwhite president, first assumed the office. They did not know that even more meaningful developments were around the corner.
Elaborate the vision. What would a United States that has taken one or more giant steps toward racial equity and justice look like? What are some of the specific and notable markers of racial change in this new order? What would change look, sound, or feel like? If some of the seeds of that change indeed are in place right now, in 2010, and/or just around the corner, identify one or more of them for us. What sorts of things do we need to do to get from here to there? Who must play what role in moving us along?
We encourage a range of perspectives and emphases. The voices of writers are most welcome, not least those of you with a creative bent (science fiction or fantasy writers, futurists, speculative fiction writers, poets). The scope of the essay is yours to decide: from the local to the national; from matters of politics and policy to questions of spirituality and art; from pieces that emphasize the well-being of a single racial or ethnic group to those that discuss implications for us all; from attention to a single institution (say, schools, faith organizations, workplaces, or professional sports) to more institutionally encompassing perspectives.
Please send your 1,000-2,000 word entry to Imagine@race-talk.org by Monday, May 17. Articles will be posted to our well-trafficked Race-Talk forum beginning Monday, May 24. We will post as many pieces as possible. However, given our uncertainty about the volume of responses we’ll receive, we reserve the right to post only selected articles. (Of course, the normal rules of respectful engagement apply.) We’ll let you know whether and when your entry will be posted.
Please feel free to alert others to this notice. All thoughtful visions are welcome.
Many thanks,
Andrew Grant-Thomas
Deputy Director
Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race & Ethnicity
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