Swarthmore College

“Race, Racism, and the Liberal Arts” explores and assembles work on underrepresented histories of how Black people, institutions, and ideas have existed outside of, pushed against, or reshaped from within the ideas and institutions of the liberal arts. This project investigates curricular, epistemological, and institutional genealogies that challenge how or whether the term liberal arts has silenced histories and ways of knowing developed by Black people, indigenous people, and people of color.

Upcoming Events in Fall 2024

Please check back for upcoming events

Recent Past Events

April 5, 2024: Jodi Melamed and Chandan Reddy in conversation on Command Power

March 1, 2024: Roderick Ferguson and Kandice Chuh in conversation on Gender and Sexuality Studies

October 30 & 31, 2023: In Black Community Featuring Kris Marsh (University of Maryland) and Angel Jones (Southern Illinois University)

October 24, 2023: BlackStar Selects: Queer Futures with J Wortham

Abolitionist University Studies Residency
As part of our project on “Race, Racism, and Liberal Arts,” the Aydelotte Foundation hosted Abigail BoggsEli MeyerhoffNick Mitchell, and Zach Schwartz-Weinstein for a week-long residency that began April 10, 2023. These scholars are the authors of “Abolitionist University Studies: An Invitation” and while on  campus participated in a keynote conversation on abolitionist university studies, held office hours open to students and faculty, and visited classes and seminars. A full schedule of events that were open to the Swarthmore community and the public related to the visit can be found here.

A Conversation with Tristan Ahtone and Robert Lee, moderated by Adrienne Benally
A webinar conversation on extractive industries and higher education held on October 26, 2022. The recording of the conversation is available here. For more information on “Land Grab Universities” visit www.landgrabu.org.

Explore more past events, including recorded conversations, here.

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