Class is back in session.
Each month, the Clinton School of Public Service provides engaging public programs covering a myriad of issues, and this month is no different. October’s schedule includes speakers on topics like prison reform, antiracism and a simple response to homelessness.
Reserve your seats by emailing publicprograms@clintonschool.uasys.edu or by calling (501) 683-5239. And if you can’t attend in person, you can live stream most programs by clicking here.
Theo Witsell – “Following Nuttall: A Bicentenary Interpretation of Thomas Nuttall’s Exploration of the Arkansas Territory”
Oct. 2, 6-7 p.m. at Sturgis Hall
This year marks the 200th anniversary of botanist and naturalist Thomas Nuttall’s year-long journey of discovery through the Arkansas Territory, which is present-day Arkansas and Oklahoma. He was the first trained naturalist to record observations and collect specimens in most of the territory. His first-hand account of this trip, later published as “A Journal of Travels into the Arkansas Territory in the Year 1819,” provides some of the earliest reliable information on the natural history of the region. These observations and his surviving botanical specimens are central to our understanding of what the region was like before it was forever altered by human progress.
To commemorate the bicentennial of Nuttall’s trip, Theo Witsell, ecologist and chief of research for the Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission and the curator of the ANHC Herbarium, worked for the past several years on a “200 years later” reinterpretation of Nuttal’s natural history observations made in Arkansas Territory. This included retracing his route using both historical and modern geospatial datasets, updating the nomenclature and taxonomy of all the plants and animals he mentions and weaving Witsell’s own observations gained over the past 24 years conducting fieldwork for the Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission.
The discussion will provide a detailed interpretation of Nuttall’s natural history observations and discuss changes in the landscape since his trip, specifically as they relate to ecological and biological diversity.
Ibram X. Kendi – “How to Be An Antiracist”
Oct. 7, 6-7 p.m. at Mosaic Templars Cultural Center | In partnership with Philander Smith College
Ibram X. Kendi is one of America’s foremost historians and leading antiracist voices. He is a New York Times-bestselling author and the founding director of The Antiracist Research & Policy Center at American University in Washington, D.C. A professor of history and international relations, Kendi is an ideas columnist at The Atlantic. He’s the author of “The Black Campus Movement” and “Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America.”
His recently released book, “How to be an Antiracist,” weaves a combination of ethics, history, law and science with his own personal story of awakening to antiracism. Kendi takes readers through a widening circle of antiracist ideas — from the most basic concepts to visionary possibilities — that will help readers see all forms of racism clearly, understand their poisonous consequences and work to oppose them in our systems and in ourselves.
This event is in partnership with JusticeCon 2019, which brings together students, activists, thought-leaders, knowledge-seekers and renowned speakers to share ideas and inspire one another in the pursuit of social justice.
Angela Davis
Oct. 8, 9-10 a.m. at Robinson Center | In partnership with Philander Smith College
Activist, author, professor and 2019 inductee into the Women’s Hall of Fame, Angela Davis was born in Birmingham, Alabama, in 1944. Davis became an assistant professor at University of California San Diego, her connections with the Black Panthers and the Communist Party led to her removal. Davis worked to free the Soledad Prison Brothers and befriended an inmate, George Jackson. In August of 1970, Jackson and several other inmates attempted to escape from the Marin County Courthouse, and a judge and three others were killed. Davis was quickly put on the FBI’s most-wanted list, despite the fact that she was not at the crime scene and was apprehended in New York.
After spending eighteen months in jail during her trial, Davis was acquitted in 1972. While in prison, Davis wrote her first book, “If They Come in the Morning: Voices of Resistance,” entirely by hand. She was later hired by San Francisco State University, where she stayed for another 12 years.
Davis toured across the United States and the world lecturing on prison reform and served on the advisory board of the Prison Activist Resource Center. Davis also co-founded the Committees of Correspondence, an organization that seeks to unite all socialist groups in the United States.
This event is part of JusticeCon 2019 and requires a registration to attend.
Tim Rabolt
Oct. 9, 6-7 p.m. at Sturgis Hall
Tim Rabolt is the executive director for the Association of Recovery in Higher Education (ARHE), an organization that provides the education, resources and connections needed to help change the trajectory of students recovering from addiction. In his role with ARHE, Rabolt oversees all operations, including the national conference, membership, external relations, partnerships and collaborations.
Prior to joining ARHE, Rabolt worked in the D.C. area as a project manager with Altarum, a public health research and consulting organization. He graduated from The George Washington University in 2015 with his bachelor’s degree in business administration, and then again in 2017 with his master’s degree in education and human development. He currently resides in Minneapolis, Minn.
Brandon R. Brown – “Inside Apollo: Forgotten Stories and Important Lessons”
Oct. 17, noon – 1 p.m. at Sturgis Hall
In celebration of the 50th anniversary of Apollo, the Clinton School welcomes Brandon R. Brown, University of San Francisco professor of physics and astronomy Brandon R. Brown. His research work has spanned high-temperature superconductivity and sensory biophysics.
His writing for non-physicists includes two books, “Planck” and “The Apollo Chronicles,” as well as columns and articles in Scientific American, Smithsonian, Slate and other outlets. He completed a bachelor’s degree in physics at Rice University, a Ph.D. in condensed matter physics at Oregon State University, and post-doctoral training in science communication at the University of California, Santa Cruz.
Susan Herman – “A Democrat and a Republican Walk into a Bar: Civil Liberties and Non-Partisanship”
Oct. 24, 6-7 p.m. at Ron Robinson Theater
Susan N. Herman was elected president of the American Civil Liberties Union in October 2008, after having served on the ACLU National Board of Directors, as a member of the executive committee and as general counsel. Herman holds a chair as Centennial Professor of Law at Brooklyn Law School, where she teaches courses in constitutional law and criminal procedure, and seminars on law and literature and terrorism and civil liberties.
Herman writes extensively on constitutional and criminal procedure topics for scholarly and other publications, ranging from law reviews and books to periodicals and online publications. Her most recent book, “Taking Liberties: The War on Terror and the Erosion of American Democracy,” is the winner of the 2012 Roy C. Palmer Civil Liberties Prize.
Nick and Mike Fiorito – The Thousand Blanket Journey
Oct. 25, 6-7 p.m. at Sturgis Hall
Blankets of Hope started two years ago when brothers Mike and Nick Fiorito had an idea. They were commuting to their unfulfilling job and passed by the same homeless people freezing on the streets of New York City. But day after day, they did nothing about it. Their endless to-do lists would take over, and they were always “too busy” to help.
Finally, Nick came to Mike with an idea that was both practical and thoughtful: “What if we just gave them blankets?” The next day, they set up a simple GoFundMe page telling their story. They raised enough money from friends and family to purchase 100 purple blankets. They chose purple because the color represented royalty. To add a personal touch, they attached a handwritten note to every blanket, each with a simple but powerful message: “We believe in you.”
Fred Burton – “Beirut Rules”
Oct. 3, noon – 1 p.m. at Sturgis Hall
Fred Burton is the author of “Beirut Rules,” which tells the tale of the kidnapping and murder of CIA Station Chief William Buckley. After a deadly terrorist bombing at the American embassy in Lebanon in 1983, only one man inside the CIA possessed the courage and skills to rebuild the networks destroyed in the blast: William Buckley. But the new Beirut station chief quickly became the target of a young terrorist named Imad Mughniyeh.
“Beirut Rules” is the pulse-by-pulse account of Buckley’s abduction, torture, and murder at the hands of Hezbollah terrorists. Drawing on never-before-seen government documents as well as interviews with Buckley’s co-workers, friends and family, the book reveals how the relentless search for Buckley in the wake of his kidnapping ignited a war against terror that continues to shape the Middle East to this day.