About Us
To think about issues of race is to engage with matters of democracy. To invoke democracy is to call attention to the fictions and the realities of race. To embark upon a productive and illuminating study of race and democracy requires collaborative engagement as well as the cultivation and valuing of multiple historical, cultural, economic, social, racial and political points of entry.
The Center for the Study of Race and Democracy is the only entity at ASU and in the state of Arizona to position race and democracy in direct relation with each other. We have a robust, deliberate, and inspired commitment to model and to sustain broadly embedded and academically rooted studies of race and democracy. The Center is known within and beyond the university for its spirited and innovative programming on issues of race, democracy and the known and understudied impact of systemic and institutional racism and undemocratic practices.
The Center is a destination for those determined and willing to grapple with pressing issues such as equity in education, health, and housing; race, gender and civic discourse; race, place and public memory, and emerging technologies of democracy. We facilitate powerful and informed dialogues through programs such as the acclaimed annual Delivering Democracy program, our Impact Arizona series, the Created Equal Film and Arts Series, and our mobile writing workshops series Words on Wheels. Our programs and events feature experts and changemakers, thought leaders and accomplished professionals who engage with and inspire our audiences. Distinctive lectures, effective workshops, and meaningful collaborations are signatures of the Center.
