Event March 4 to discuss race, civic engagement and citizenship post-Ferguson

The Ralph Munro Institute for Civic Engagement of Western Washington University will hold a symposium titled “Examining Race, Civic Engagement, and Citizenship Post-Ferguson: Where Do We Go From Here?” from 6 to 9 p.m. March 4 at the Bellingham City Council Chambers downtown.

The symposium, which is free and open to the public, will look at the issues raised by the recent police shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo. The program features a panel of professionals with wide-ranging experience in law enforcement, the judicial process and social justice advocacy.

Topics include:

  • What legal actions can be taken in cases where police misconduct is witnessed?
  • What are the rights of street protesters?
  • How are the police trained to understand the communities in which they work?
  • What can judges do to correct potential racial inequity?
  • Do Latinos and other communities of color experience similar relations with law enforcement?
  • What constructive advocacy can be employed to engage the criminal justice system over issues of perceived racial inequity?

After the panel, there will be breakout groups to discuss ways to engage citizens, the criminal justice system, and government in conversations about race and how to address the inequities or perceived inequities of institutional practices in America.

Panelists:

  • Craig Sims, Chief, Criminal Division, Seattle City Attorney's Office
  • Veronica Galvan, Judge, King County Superior Court, Western alumna
  • Tali Hairston, Director of The John M. Perkins Center for Reconciliation, Community Development, and Leadership Training, Seattle Pacific University
  • Flo Simon, Bellingham Deputy Police Chief
  • Veronica Velez, Assistant Professor and the Director of the Education and Social Justice minor, Woodring College of Education/Fairhaven College
  • James Bible, Seattle attorney, former president, Seattle chapter, NAACP, Western alumnus

For more information, contact Vicki Hsueh in the WWU Political Science Department at vicki.hsueh@wwu.edu or 360-650-2649 or Vernon Johnson, also in the Political Science Department, at vernon.johnson@wwu.edu or 360-650-4874.