UR to host free webinar series in response to COVID-19 and race relations

The University of Richmond’s School of Arts & Sciences will host a webinar series throughout the 2020-21 academic year that aims to foster conversations in response to COVID-19 and racism.

The series, which is free and open to the public, features conversations between guest speakers and faculty members in the School of Arts & Sciences around various topics from free speech and protest, to the historical context of COVID-19.

“As a nation, we are really dealing with two pandemics — COVID-19 and racism,” said Patrice Rankine, dean of the School of Arts & Sciences. “This series is one of our community’s many ways that we will process current events together.”

Upcoming events include  "Free Speech and Protest" (Sept. 23, 7 p.m.), a conversation with Michael Signer, who was mayor of Charlottesville during the Unite the Right rally of 2017, and "Academic Disciples: What Stays or Goes" (Oct. 14, 7 p.m.), a conversation with higher education leaders Joy Connolly and Andrew Delbanco.

Exact dates are still being determined, but additional conversations slated for the academic year include "COVID-19 in Historical Context" in November, a conversation with Frank Snowden, a professor of history and history of medicine at Yale University; and “'Diversity': Helping or Harming Us?" in February, a conversation with Natasha Warikoo, sociology professor at Tufts University.

For a full list of events and registration details, visit bit.ly/UR-AS-WebinarSeries.