Press Release

DEMOCRACY REMIXED, BLACK YOUTH AND THE FUTURE OF AMERICAN POLITICS WITH CATHY COHEN-FEBRUARY 19

The Public Square, a program of the Illinois Humanities Council, hosts a conversation to launch a series of programs commemorating its 10-year anniversary

CHICAGO   Join The Public Square at the Chicago Urban Art Society for a conversation with University of Chicago scholar Cathy Cohen, Ph.D., about her new book, Democracy Remixed: Black Youth and the Future of American Politics, and a panel of local and national leaders working with black youth in Chicago and nationwide.

This event will take place on Saturday, February 19 from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. at Chicago Urban Art Society (2229 S. Halsted St., Chicago). This program is free and open to the public. Reservations are required and can be made at www.prairie.org/publicsquare, events@prairie.org or 312.422.5580.

This event will be the first in a series commemorating the 10-year anniversary of The Public Square. In addition to Cathy Cohen, the conversation will also feature Bakari Kitwana, author of The Hip Hop Generation and Why; Biko Baker, Executive Director of the League of Young Voters; Rosa Clemente, community organizer, activist, and 2008 Vice-Presidential candidate; Kenyon Farrow, former Executive Director of Queers for Economic Justice; Angie Fresco, youth organizer for Southside Together Organized for Power (STOP) and poetry coordinator for Southwest Youth Collaborative; and FM Supreme, hip hop artist and Talent Manager for Young Chicago Authors.

This program is sponsored by The Public Square, a program of the Illinois Humanities Council in partnership with the Black Youth Project; Center for the Study of Race, Politics and Culture at the the University of Chicago; Gender and Women’s Studies Program at the University of Illinois at Chicago; and WBEZ Chicago. This event is also co-sponsored by Affinity; Chicago Freedom School; Chicago Hip Hop Civic Engagement Project; the Institute for Research on Race and Public Policy, Chicago Votes, Southwest Youth Collaborative, and Teachers for Social Justice.

About The Public Square

The Public Square, a program of the Illinois Humanities Council, fosters debate, dialogue, and exchange of ideas about cultural, social and political issues with an emphasis on social justice. Programs promote participatory democracy by creating space for public conversations. More information about The Public Square is available at www.prairie.org/publicsquare.

 

The Illinois Humanities Council is a nonprofit educational organization [501 (c) 3] dedicated to fostering a culture in which the humanities are a vital part of the lives of individuals and communities. Organized in 1973 as the state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities, the IHC creates programs and funds organizations that promote greater understanding of, appreciation for, and involvement in the humanities by all Illinoisans, regardless of their economic resources, cultural background, or geographic location. The IHC is supported by state, federal, and private funds.

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