Race and Equity

Harlequin Productions is offering a radio theater-style “A Christmas Carol,” adapted by Orson Welles, available for streaming beginning Sunday, Dec. 6. Antonio Mitchell, who is pursuing a master of fine arts in acting at the UW, is playing Jacob Marley.

A newly released study by the University of Washington shows how being stopped by police in middle school can lead to different criminal-justice paths, based on race. The study, conducted over a period of years, found that Black youth are more likely than white youth to be treated as “usual suspects” after a first encounter with police, leading to more subsequent arrests over time. Kevin Haggerty, professor of social work at the UW; Robert Crutchfield, professor emeritus of sociology at the UW; and Annie McGlynn-Wright, who led the study while a doctoral student in sociology at the UW, are mentioned.

Annie McGlynn-Wright, sociology PhD graduate, explains the results of a new study she worked on exploring the consequences of early interactions between police and Black youth.

“Washington state is now a national leader in providing financial aid to low-income college students, and at the University of Washington, we ensure that the cost of tuition is not a barrier for low-income students. But access and equity do not begin or end with college enrollment,” writes UW President Ana Mari Cauce.

Victoria Lawson, professor in the Department of Geography, director of the Honors Program, and adjunct professor of Gender, Women and Sexuality Studies discusses social care and racial justice.

Matthew Howard, Ph.D. candidate in English, discusses race and mobility.

Christopher Parker, associate professor of social justice and political science, explains the role of race in the 2020 election in a UW panel on the topic.

Award-winning screenwriter, playwright and novelist La'Chris Jordan, (BA, Communications, 2001), tells a timely and personal story in her debut short film.

“Something I hear all the time is that those who are closest to the pain and to the solution are furthest from the power to make the change,” says De’Sean Quinn, a Tukwila City Councilmember.

“It’s important to take stock of what we’ve accomplished so we can remember that our collective activism, past and present, isn’t in vain,” says LaShawnda Pittman, an assistant professor of American Ethnic Studies.

“Institutions move slowly,” writes sociology professor Alexes Harris, guest editor of Viewpoint Magazine. “But we are at a moment for change and we need to apply and support constant pressure and expect certain outcomes.”

During the pandemic, many people have leaned into art and hobbies to ease the stress of everyday life. For Chanhee Choi, a multidisciplinary interactive artist and Ph.D. candidate in the University of Washington Digital Arts and Experimental Media department, art became a way to reflect on her experience with discrimination and racism as a Korean in America during the pandemic.

“2020: The Course” gives students an opportunity to hear from UW professors and special guests who will discuss the COVID-19 pandemic, race in the United States, the state of the environment, the economic recession, civic participation, citizenship and this election season and outcomes.

The University of Washington’s Center for Human Rights plans to file public records requests with local governments and law enforcement agencies to monitor immigration enforcement and activity in the state.

How the country has arrived at its current circumstances and what can be done to move forward as a nation were the main themes of an Oct 21 lecture Francis gave called “Protests for the Soul of a Nation.”