What Happens to a Dream Deferred? 60-Second Lectures on Racial Injustice. (Video)

The recent killings of George Floyd, Rayshard Brooks, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery, along with other incidents of racist violence, have shined a spotlight on the painful reality that many in our community have long been aware of: the enduring legacy of racism.

In an effort to amplify the messages of the protests, Penn Arts & Sciences presents a special series: What Happens to a Dream Deferred? 60-Second Lectures on Racial Injustice. This set of short talks focuses on the history and contemporary manifestations of racism in the U.S., Black lives and culture, and the range of factors that have contributed to this moment.

Introducing the lectures, Steven J. Fluharty, Dean and Thomas S. Gates, Jr. Professor of Psychology, Pharmacology, and Neuroscience, explained that the series' title comes from Langston Hughes' 1951 poem, "Harlem,"  adding, "When we consider recent events in our country, we must not think of them as a response to a single incident. They are the response to centuries of dreams deferred."

The speakers featured below are Mary Frances Berry, Geraldine R. Segal Professor of American Social Thought and Professor of History and Africana Studies; Margo Natalie Crawford, Edmund J. and Louise W. Kahn Professor for Faculty Excellence, Professor of English, and Director of the Center for Africana Studies; Guthrie Ramsey, Professor of Music; and Dagmawi Woubshet, Ahuja Family Presidential Associate Professor of English. Their topics are, “Show Not Tell That Black Lives Matter,” “Unapologetic Blackness,” “Art Answers,” and “James Baldwin: Our Times in His Language,” respectively.

Watch these highlights from the series below, or to see all the 60-Second Lectures on Racial Injustice, click here.

“Show Not Tell That Black Lives Matter”

Mary Frances Berry

Geraldine R. Segal Professor of American Social Thought and Professor of History and Africana Studies

“Unapologetic Blackness”

Margo Natalie Crawford

Edmund J. and Louise W. Kahn Professor for Faculty Excellence, Professor of English, and Director of the Center for Africana Studies

“Art Answers”

Guthrie Ramsey

Professor of Music

“James Baldwin: Our Times in His Language”

Dagmawi Woubshet

Ahuja Family Presidential Associate Professor of English