In an effort to foster and encourage productive and proactive dialogue about race within the community of the George Warren Brown School of Social Work (GWB) at Washington University and the St. Louis region, the Society of Black Student Social Workers (SBSSW) will host “Celebrating King Holiday 2004: Forum on Race,” Jan. 19 from 2-6 p.m. in room 100 of Brown Hall. This event is free and open to the public.
The guest speaker for this event is Tim Wise, a social justice activist and senior advisor to the Fisk University Race Relations Institute, who will speak on the topic of white privilege.
His lecture, which will follow a professionally facilitated discussion on race relations with members of the student body and the greater GWB community, will begin at 4:30 p.m.
Wise is one of the most prominent white anti-racist voices in the United States. He has trained labor, government, corporate, and law enforcement officials on methods for dismantling racism in their institutions, and has served as a consultant for plaintiff’s attorneys in federal discrimination cases in New York and Washington state.
“Congruent with the national observance of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday, the forum commemorates Dr. King’s legacy, and celebrates his unrelenting dreams for social justice and equality for all mankind,” says Vincent C. Flewellen, coordinator of this event and member of SBSSW.
“We recognize there are many issues of oppression, but this is one attempt to hopefully initiate greater, deeper, more meaningful conversation. We can only hope that we, as social workers, follow in the teachings of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and pledge to serve humanity, promote his teachings and carry forward his vision into the next week . . . the next month . . . the next year . . . the next century.”
For more information, contact Vincent C. Flewellen at (314) 935-9116 or at MLK2004gwb@gwbmail.wustl.edu.