Wellness and Work-life Balance
UCSB Arts & Lectures announces Race to Justice Spring 2021 virtual events, part of A&L’s season-long, in-depth look at systemic racism. This effort engages leading activists, creatives and thinkers to expand our understanding of racism and how race impacts society and to inspire an expansive approach to advancing racial equality. All UCSB students can access the Race to Justice events for free. Read on to learn more!
UCSB Arts & Lectures announces Race to Justice Spring 2021 virtual events, part of A&L's season-long, in-depth look at systemic racism. This effort engages leading activists, creatives and thinkers to expand our understanding of racism and how race impacts society and to inspire an expansive approach to advancing racial equality. Race to Justice virtual events are FREE to UCSB graduate students (registration required) and include: Allyson Felix, Ranky Tanky, Robert Bullard, Theaster Gates, Bryan Stevenson, Heather McGhee and Patrisse Cullors.
Presentations will be followed by Q&As with the audience. Most virtual programs are an hour long starting at 5 p.m. Pacific and will be available for replay for one week following the broadcast.
Additionally, the spring RTJ line-up features a free screening of We Are the Dream - The Kids of the Oakland MLK Oratorical Fest at Santa Barbara's West Wind Drive-in.
EVENT LINEUP:
The Most Decorated Track and Field Olympian in History
Allyson Felix
Advocacy and Equality in Sports and in Life
TUE, APR 6 / 5:00 PM / VIRTUAL
A nine-time Olympic medalist, world record holder and one of Time's 100 Most Influential People of 2020, track and field champion Allyson Felix is at the forefront of the fight for equality.
This conversation with Dr. Ingrid Banks, Chair of the UC Santa Barbara Department of Black Studies, will be followed by a Q&A.
Gullah Music of the Carolina Coast
Ranky Tanky
THU, APR 15 / 5:00 PM / VIRTUAL
Winner of the 2020 Grammy for Best Regional Roots Music Album, Ranky Tanky is a dynamo quintet with an inspired take on the soulful songs of South Carolina's Gullah culture.
This performance will be followed by a Q&A moderated by Charles Donelan, Santa Barbara Independent executive arts editor.
The Father of Environmental Justice
Dr. Robert Bullard
The Quest for Environmental and Racial Justice
WED, APR 21 / 5:00 PM / VIRTUAL
With more than four decades of action advocating for racial equality and fair environmental and urban planning, Dr. Robert Bullard is widely considered the father of the environmental justice movement.
This presentation will be followed by a Q&A moderated by Dr. David N. Pellow, UC Santa Barbara Dehlsen Chair of Environmental Studies and Director of the Global Environmental Justice Project.
Urban Planner, Artist and Activist
Theaster Gates
THU, APR 29 / 5:00 PM / VIRTUAL
An artist, musician and cultural planner, Theaster Gates draws on his training in urban planning to redeem spaces that have been left behind, upturning art values, land values and human values.
This presentation will be followed by a moderated Q&A.
Founder of the Equal Justice Initiative
Bryan Stevenson
American Injustice: Mercy, Humanity and Making a Difference
FRI, APR 30 / 5:00 PM / VIRTUAL
MacArthur Fellow Bryan Stevenson is an attorney, human rights activist, author of Just Mercy and founder of the Equal Justice Initiative.
This presentation will be followed by a moderated Q&A.
Author, Advocate and Public Policy Expert
Heather McGhee
The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together
TUE, MAY 4 / 5:00 PM / VIRTUAL
A renowned expert on the American economy, Heather McGhee is the author of The Sum of Us, which reveals the devastating true cost of racism, not just for people of color, but for everyone.
This conversation with Dr. Sharon Tettegah, UC Santa Barbara professor and director of the Center for Black Studies Research, will be followed by a Q&A.
UCSB Reads Author Event
Patrisse Cullors
When They Call You a Terrorist: A Black Lives Matter Dialogue
WED, MAY 12 / 5:00 PM / VIRTUAL
Artist, organizer and educator Patrisse Cullors is co-founder and executive director of the Black Lives Matter Global Network and founder of Dignity and Power Now.
This event will be followed by a Q&A moderated by Dr. Omise'eke Natasha Tinsley, UC Santa Barbara Professor of Black Studies.
RACE TO JUSTICE FREE FILM SCREENING
We Are the Dream - The Kids of the Oakland MLK Oratorical Fest
THU, JUN 3 / 8:30 PM / WEST WIND DRIVE-IN
This uplifting documentary follows students from across Oakland as they hone speeches inspired by the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and hope for a coveted spot in the MLK Oratorical Fest finals.
Film admission is first come, first served (no advance registration).
