Hamline University is pleased to invite the public to its annual Social Justice Symposium events on April 5-8. This year’s keynote address by Carnegie Mellon University history professor Joe W. Trotter, “The Most Dangerous Black Man in America; A. Philip Randolph and the Rise of Martin Luther King,” honors social justice activist A. Phillip Randolph.

The keynote lecture takes place  on Tuesday, April 6 from 11:30 a.m—12:30 p.m in Sundin Music Hall, located at 1531 Hewitt Avenue on Hamline University’s Saint Paul campus. The keynote is just one of several events to be held during the Social Justice Symposium week, April 5 – 8, 2010. All events are free and open to the public (unless otherwise indicated below). For a full list of the weeks events, click here.

Beginning with A. Philip Randolph’s antiwar and socialist activities during World War I, this lecture will examine his leadership of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, the National Negro Congress, the First March on Washington Movement during World War II, and the Second March on Washington Movement in 1963. Randolph’s contributions to the 20th century African American freedom struggle helped to establish the foundation for the rise of the Modern Civil Rights and Black Power movements.

Other related events Tuesday, April 6 from 7-8:30 p.m. “Continuing A. Phillip Randolph’s Legacy: Class Warfare and Freedom Warriors. Social Change through Grassroots Organizing.”
Location: Bush Student Center (in the HUB, located in the lower level) 1551 Hewitt Avenue, Saint Paul
Panelists include Jigme Ugen (Service Employees International Union), Daniel Yang (Native American Community Development Institute), and Kelly Lewis (OutFront MN). The panel includes three community members who truly embody A Phillip Randolph’s legacy of social change through grassroots organizing in the areas of politics, unions, and social equality.

Wednesday, April 7 from 7-10 p.m.
“con’tro’VERSE’ial: Spoken Word Event: Issues of Race and Social Justice”
Location: Bush Student Center, Ballroom, 1551 Hewitt Avenue, Saint Paul
Hamline’s social change organization Commitment to Community and members of the National Conference on Race and Ethnicity Team will celebrate the unique fusion of spoken word and poetry to discuss issues of race and other social justice issues affecting society collectively. Local spoken word legends will perform, giving voice and verse to these issues.

Thursday, April 8 from 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
“This is My Story: Lesbian Community Members”
Location: Giddens Learning Center, room 100E, 1556 Hewitt Avenue, Saint Paul
Sponsored by the Office of Multicultural and International Student Affairs, this panel conversation features Linda Her (artist/activist), Lupe Castillo (community activist), Shauen Pearce (COLOR coordiNATION Board of Directors); they will share personal stories, reflections, challenges, and history of lesbian female community members.

Thursday, April 8 from 5-7 p.m.
“Empty Bowls”
Location: Hamline United Methodist Church, community room, 1541 Englewood Ave, Saint Paul 
Empty Bowls is a community dinner and educational festival about hunger. An empty bowl is a symbol of those among us whose cupboards are bare. Speakers, music, soup from area restaurants, and family friendly activities. Proceeds go to alleviate hunger in Haiti and here at home. This is sponsored by the Office of Service-Learning at Hamline University; those interested in volunteering at “Empty Bowls” may contact Sharon Jaffe at 651 523 2483 or sjaffe@hamline.edu.

Friday, April 9 from 3-4 p.m. "Why do Black and Latino Kids Create Hip-Hop? Why do White Kids Love Hip-Hop"
Location: Giddens Learning Center 100E
Journalist, activist, and CEO of Rap Sessions: Community Dialogues on Hip-Hop, Bakari Kitwana will discuss the changing reality of race in America to what's really at stake as white kids, popular culture and hip-hop meet. He will explore a new way of racial politics that departs from the old divide and conquer essentialism.

More on A. Philip Randolph A. Philip Randolph (1889-1979) came of age during the era of Jim Crow in American society. According to recent scholarship, when he moved from Jacksonville, Florida to Harlem on the eve of World War I, Randolph’s religious sensibilities and commitments informed his political activism. Yet, most prevailing studies either ignore the role of religion in Randolph’s career or cast him as a “doubter” or even an “atheist.”

More on the speaker Joe William Trotter, Jr.
Joe William Trotter, Jr. is the Giant Eagle Professor of History and Social Justice and a department chair at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He also directs Carnegie Mellon’s Center for African American Urban Studies and the Economy. He teaches courses in African American and U. S. urban, labor, and working-class history. In addition to completing a new book on the history of African Americans in Pittsburgh since World War II, his recent publications include African American Urban History, Hurricane Katrina: Urban History from the Eye of the Storm, and several other works.

More on the Social Justice Symposium
The Social Justice Symposium is presented each year to educate members of the Hamline University community about social justice issues that affect our university, local and national communities. Annually, the symposium examines the intersections and commonalities between different social justice issues, and also highlights and celebrates the life and accomplishments of legendary social justice activists. For more information on the symposium or additional events surrounding the symposium, please contact the Multicultural and International Student Affairs Office at 651-523-2423 or visit www.hamline.edu/misa.