Zoom Link: https://pitt.zoom.us/j/99770005004, Meeting ID: 997 7000 5004

Dr. Tarun Banerjee will be speaking on “The Movement for Black Lives: What is Needed for a Just World and How do I Know?” (more information below and in the attached flier). Dr. Banerjee is a professor of sociology at Pitt who researches the dynamics between those with and without power. He studies how those in power form public policy with the influence of businesses, and how this policy affects the democratic process. In contrast, he also researches how people without power collectively organize to get power and what tactics are utilized to do so.

Description: Millions of people are marching, kneeling, and fighting to demand that Black Lives Matter. From the streets to classrooms and workplaces, BLM now appears to have become the largest social movement in U.S. history (all in the midst of an unprecedented pandemic). Yet the messages we often hear from political figures and media commentators is that there are better ways of achieving racial and social justice: Vote instead! Protesting alienates White people! Rioting undermines your moral cause! What happens if we actually defund the police? In this discussion, we will examine these arguments by stepping back to ask how social change actually occurs. We will talk about what the larger political and economic system in the U.S. looks like, and what history tells us about advancing a more just and equal society. While it often seems that there is too much conflicting information to know what exactly to think, the answers are surprisingly clear if you know where to look.