Confrontation, Crisis, and the Continuing Struggle for Equality in America, Presentation July 19
The UPEI Distinguished Visitor Speaker Series continues July 19 with R.Bruce Craig's presentation entitled "Confrontation, Crisis, and the Continuing Struggle for Equality in America." Craig is a historian and a 20th century specialist. He speaks at 3:00 pm in the K.C. Irving Chemistry Centre on the UPEI campus.
In this presentation, he will assess the successes and failures of various racial, ethnic, gender, and cultural groups in their ongoing struggle to achieve social and political equality in the United States. Based on the historical lessons derived from the struggle of black Americans for equality, Craig will examine the more recent controversies surrounding gay rights, including the pending 'marriage Constitutional amendment', the ongoing struggle by women to achieve equality in society, and the most recent effort by immigrants, particularly the Hispanic 'illegal' populations, to achieve what they assert are their rights under the law. He will also speculate on the impact these movements will make on the next presidential election.
Craig, who is the director of the National Coalition for History, a Washington- based advocacy organization that represents the historical and archival community on Capitol Hill, has returned to PEI to teach a summer course at UPEI - "US History Since 1945." In addition to his teaching assignments at UPEI, he is also a professorial lecturer at the American University in Washington DC.
Craig received his PhD from American University and an MA in Public History from the University of California at Santa Barbara. He is the author of TREASONABLE DOUBT: THE HARRY DEXTER WHITE SPY CASE (University Press of Kansas, 2004) and has written numerous scholarly and popular articles. His weekly electronic newsletter - the NCH WASHINGTON UPDATE - which has a circulation of about 60,000, is widely read and highly regarded in historical and archival circles.
UPEI Distinguished Visitor Speaker Series presentations take place on Wednesdays at 3 pm, with historic campus tours at 4 pm, throughout the summer and early fall. Admission is free. In addition to Wednesday lectures, presentations are being scheduled at other times based on the availability of speakers. For more information contact Julie Mutch at 894-2834 or visit www.upei.ca/summer.
