Tonight’s Rhett Talks to Focus on Identity, Race, and Culture
BU faculty’s TEDx-style lectures aimed to begin hard conversations
With more than 250 programs of study, BU has a faculty of experts ranging from archaeology and biomedical engineering to lighting design and marine science. To make students more aware of the range of its offerings, the University launched Rhett Talks, a monthlong series of TEDx Talks–style talks by BU faculty three years ago. Each week, starting tonight, faculty from a variety of disciplines will give 15-minute lectures on topics of their choosing at different locations around campus. After each set of lectures, there will be a brief question-and-answer session and an informal reception.
The talks are sponsored by the Faculty-in-Residence Program, with support from the Dean of Students office and Residence Life.
Tonight’s Rhett Talks event, which begins at 7 p.m. in the GSU Metcalf Ballroom, is unique in that it’s the result of joint efforts by Residence Life and the Howard Thurman Center for Common Ground and will focus on themes of identity, race, and culture. The faculty speakers are Nazli Kibria, a College of Arts & Sciences professor and chair of sociology, Jim Petosa, a College of Fine Arts professor of directing and dramatic criticism and School of Theatre director, and Saida Grundy, a CAS assistant professor of sociology and African American studies.
“The students, faculty, and staff working within the office of Residence Life and the Howard Thurman Center put together an opportunity for folks in this community to have the hard conversations about diverse experiences, perspectives, realizations, triumphs, and struggles in the country—especially as they relate to race, religion, identity, and culture,” says Kenneth Elmore (SED’87), associate provost and dean of students. “I hope tonight’s Rhett Talk inspires personal reflection and engagement with others—donations, writings and posts, demonstrations of commitment, prayers, meditations, problem-solving, and additional conversations. Especially with all the current and deep stress, tension, and vitriol involving race, culture, and identity, we need to know and engage each other more.”
Kibria’s talk, titled Becoming Muslim American: Identities of Integration, will explore Muslim American patterns of integration into American society, with a focus on immigrants and their descendants. “I was interested in talking about this because there are a lot of misconceptions about Muslims in America,” Kibria says. “Especially that they don’t see themselves as part of the nation. My own research and that of other social scientists offer a very different picture, of a population that is taking a variety of paths towards becoming part of the American fabric.”
Grundy says her talk, Beyond the Legal, Past the Political: Social Citizenship and Who Still Doesn’t Have It, will focus on what citizenship means “socially, not simply legally,” adding “Don’t be surprised if Colin Kaepernick or Philando Castile come up.”
Petosa will address the power of art—especially theater—to spark conversations and its ability to present challenging societal issues to diverse audiences. He’ll talk about the ways that theater both inspires, and is inspired by, civic movements.
Three more Rhett Talks are scheduled for the following weeks. On Tuesday, September 20, the speakers will be Mark Grinstaff, a CAS professor of chemistry, a College of Engineering professor of biomedical engineering, and a member of the ENG Division of Materials Science and Engineering, and Megan Sullivan, a College of General Studies associate professor of rhetoric, associate dean for faculty research and development, and director of the Center for Interdisciplinary Teaching & Learning. Sullivan plans to focus on the subject of children of incarcerated parents.
The third in the Rhett Talks series will be on Thursday, September 29, and feature a talk by Jay Samons, a CAS professor of classical studies, on The Problem with Democracy. He will be joined by Charles Chang, a CAS assistant professor of linguistics, whose topic has not yet been announced, and Nancy Ammerman, a CAS professor of sociology of religion and associate dean for social sciences, whose talk is titled Spiritual but Not Religious—Is Religion Disappearing from American Life?
In the final session, scheduled for Thursday, October 6, Sandro Galea, dean of the School of Public Health, will talk about The Healthiest Goldfish. Douglas Kriner, a CAS associate professor of political science, will speak about American Politics in the Age of Trump. And Christopher Gill, an SPH associate professor of global health and a research scientist at BU’s Center for Global Health & Development, will weigh in on Should We Prevent Preventable Deaths? Gill received the 2016 Metcalf Cup and Prize, BU’s highest teaching award.
Speakers are suggested by students, current Faculty-in-Residence professors, and members of the Dean of Students staff. Students who attended last year’s lectures were asked to list professors they’d enjoy hearing from at future Rhett Talks and half of this year’s speakers come from that list.
“True to our Residence Life mission, we want to provide students with an opportunity for learning outside of the classroom and that also engages them in the greater BU community,” says Rhett Talks organizer Meg White, assistant director of Residence Life for Upper Commonwealth Ave. The series has become increasingly popular since launching in 2013. Last year’s talks drew over 800 students.
The Rhett Talks series begins tonight, Monday, September 12, at the GSU Metcalf Ballroom, 775 Commonwealth Ave. The additional Rhett Talks will be on Tuesday, September 20, at the Rich Hall Cinema Room, 277 Babcock St.; Thursday, September 29, at the 10 Buick Street Student Atrium; and Thursday, October 7, at the Warren Towers Multipurpose Room, 700 Commonwealth Ave.; all from 7 to 8 p.m. Find the full list of speakers here. All lectures are free and open to the public. Each talk will be filmed and the videos will be available on the Rhett Talks website.
Mara Sassoon can be reached at msassoon@bu.edu.
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