Afternoon Seminars@CMIST - Aaron Winter
| Dates: | 2 June 2015 |
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| Times: | 16:00 - 17:15 |
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| What is it: | Seminar |
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| Organiser: | School of Social Sciences |
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| Who is it for: | University staff, Current University students |
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| Speaker: | Aaron Winter |
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In this Afternoon Seminars@CMIST event, Aaron Winter from the University of East London will deliver a talk entitled 'Haunted by a ‘Ghost-Robed Ku Klux Klan’: Organised Racism in Post-Racial America'.
Abstract:
With the election of Barack Obama as the first African-American president in 2008, discussion inside and beyond America focused on the legacy of civil rights and the possibility of a post-racial America. Images of Obama and African-American supporters were often juxtaposed with images of Klansmen, burning crosses and police using dogs and water hoses against African-Americans who crossed the segregated colour line and civil rights activists.
While much commentary focused on the important issue of continuing institutional and systemic racism and racial inequality despite both progress since civil rights, the election of Obama and post-race claims, what was often overlooked was that in addition to this and adaptive advancements in coded and colour blind racism, both violent organised racism and police racism continued.
In fact, on 7 April 2009, the Department of Homeland Security issued the report Right wing Extremism: Current Economic and Political Climate Fuelling Resurgence in Radicalization and Recruitment and the Southern Poverty Law Center has cited a significant increase in hate groups and racism since Obama’s election, as well as a revival of the Ku Klux Klan in response to protests following the 2014 Ferguson, Missouri police shooting of Michael Brown and acquittal of George Zimmerman in the ‘stand your ground’ killing of Trayvon Martin in 2012. This paper will examine the notion of ‘post-racial’ America, the resurgence of organised racism and racist violence, as well as continuing issue of racism in the criminal justice system in this context, and how the concept is being both challenged by and defended against these realities. These developments will also put in the context of Aaron’s wider research into periods of crisis and transition in the history of the American far-right.
No need to register; all welcome.
Speaker
Aaron Winter
Role: Senior Lecturer
Organisation: University of East London
Travel and Contact Information
Find event
2.07
Humanities Bridgeford Street
Manchester
