Dr. Ari Santas Discusses The Matrix of Racism Oct. 14

Pictured is Dr. Ari Santas, professor in the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies at Valdosta State University.

VALDOSTA – Dr. Ari Santas, professor in the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies at Valdosta State University, will present The Matrix of Racism from 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 14, in Whitehead Auditorium. Admission is free of charge and open to the public.

Santas said his lecture “…will focus…on the process by which race was constructed legally and scientifically…how that construction created internalized racial identities, [and] the process by which these constructions and identities can continue to be undone by ongoing anti-racist efforts.”

Santas has taught at VSU since 1990 and has led classes on the philosophy of Cornel West, the philosophy of anti-racism, ethics and anti-racism, and racism in retreat. He is considered an expert on the subjects of American pragmatism, environmental philosophy, and the philosophy of education and has shared his knowledge through dozens of peer-reviewed articles and chapters, conferences, workshops, student mentoring activities, and presentations.

Santas’s monograph, Rethinking Nature: A Reconstruction of Western Ethics in the Age of Environment, is currently in production.

Santas’s talk is part of a series of presentations collectively known as A Complex and Tangled History: Courageous Conversations about Race that will continue through Nov. 18 with Dr. Leslie S. Jones, associate professor in the Department of Biology, discussing how to untangle human diversity from the social construction of race.

Each event will begin with a 45-minute presentation, followed by a 45-minute question-and-answer/discussion session. Doors open at 7 p.m.

“This event has been organized as a university/community event, also referred to as a Town and Gown,” said Jones, series organizer.

“We hope that any interested member in the community will join us. This ongoing speaker series has been initiated by students and faculty members as an academic approach to the challenge of addressing all forms of racism in our country.”

Whitehead Auditorium is located on the first floor of the VSU Fine Arts Building, at the intersection of Brookwood Drive and Oak Street.

Contact the African American Studies Program at (229) 249-4843 or Dr. Leslie S. Jones at lesliesj@valdosta.edu or (229) 219-1337 for more information.

Valdosta State University’s 2013-2019 Strategic Plan represents a renewal of energy and commitment to the foundational principles for comprehensive institutions.

Implementation of the plan’s five goals, along with their accompanying objectives and strategies, supports VSU’s institutional mission and the University System of Georgia’s mission for comprehensive universities.

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