Following the success of the Richard K. Bennett Distinguished Lectureship for Social Peace and Justice Series presentation “Racism in America” last year, which explored why racism came into existence and how it was constructed, Montgomery County Community College and the Lively Arts Series are proud to announce the series’ return.

This online special event will explore medical racism and its impact on African Americans and Indigenous people in the 20th century, on March 11.

The virtual lecture series is free and open to the community, but tickets are required.

The session “Hearing and Healing: A Reflection on the Racism in America Series” will be led by Dr. Keima Sheriff, Dean of Holistic Support at MCCC, Friday, March 11, at 12:45 p.m. This semi-structured discussion will reflect on the themes presented in the previous two sessions in the series and will allow participants to process their thoughts and feelings on what they have learned.

The ‘Racism in America’ program is facilitated by Dr. Fran L. Lassiter, Professor of English at MCCC, who said she was excited to see the program return.

“Last year, the series opened the door to explore and dispel several myths and misconceptions about the history of Black, Indigenous People of Color (BIPOC) and the history of the United States. Based on the questions posted during the various lectures, I think that our attendees enjoyed the lectures and gained insight on topics and issues that are often glossed over or simply ignored,” said Dr. Lassiter. “It was a great learning experience for everyone involved, myself included, and I look forward to the next phase of the series.”

Lassiter said given the ongoing pandemic, discussing medical racism and discrimination in health care feels relevant and timely.

“It is my hope that the attendees will gain insight into the history of medical racism that includes the Tuskegee Study of the 1930s, the Henrietta Lacks case in the 1950s, the mass sterilization of Native Indigenous women in the 1970s, and eugenics that served as justification for many of these racist practices. The list goes on and on,” she said. “There are so many issues that are directly, and indirectly, tied to medical racism that I hope we can explore these topics, but more importantly, that we can inspire our attendees to learn more about what can be done to end medical racism and discrimination in health care. These issues cut across racial, gender, and economic lines, so it impacts everyone.”  

The Richard K. Bennett Distinguished Lectureship for Social Peace and Justice is supported through an endowment made from the William Penn Foundation through the Bennett Fund of the Montgomery County Community College Foundation.

For more information about the ‘Racism in America’ program and ticket information, visit here.