Race relations panel to discuss 'Beyond Ferguson'

A panel discussion and community forum on race relations will address the topic "Beyond Ferguson: Race, Class and the Journey to Justice" during North Central College's annual Martin Luther King Jr. Week.

The discussion begins at 5 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 21, in the college's Centennial Hall at the Harold and Eva White Activities Center, 325 E. Benton Ave., Naperville.

The panel discussion will feature radio host and civic activist April Yvonne Garrett, Freedom Rider Thomas Armstrong, Professor of Political Science Stephen Maynard Caliendo, Assistant Professor of Sociology Ericka Adams, former North Central College English professor Kim Brown, transfer admission counselor and Class of 1992 alumnus Brian Johnson, and student John Arrington from the Class of 2016.

"The addition of a panel discussion to our Martin Luther King Jr. Week events this year creates an opportunity to show students how community members who may have different viewpoints can come together and have meaningful dialogue," said Dorothy Pleas, the college's director of multicultural affairs.

"We also hope the panel discussion helps students understand the historical context of these recent incidents and current viewpoints about the struggle for racial equality."

Garrett, a Baltimore native, is founder and president of Civic Frame, a nonprofit organization that uses art and intellectual work to encourage civic participation, media literacy and critical thinking.

Additional Martin Luther King Jr. Week events at North Central College include a keynote address by Cornel West on Friday, Jan. 23, and the Gospel Extravaganza Saturday, Jan. 24.

For information, visit northcentralcollege.edu.