A Fraught and Winding Road

Welcome to the course blog for Racial and Ethnic Politics in the United States, a graduate seminar at Cornell University taught by Prof. Jamila Michener.  The course that inspires this blog is meant to provide the knowledge and analytical tools necessary for understanding (and acting in response to) the complexities of race in a post-9/11, post-Ferguson (and soon enough) post-Obama America. Achieving this end requires transcending the boundary of the classroom and sharing our insights with the world beyond Cornell. For that sake, we present this blog and invite you to participate. In a democracy, the political community is strengthened when we think more deeply about critical and foundational issues. So join us in deliberating alternative perspectives on race (as well as gender, class, citizenship and much more). The road to racial justice in the United States has been long, winding and fraught with challenges. It is not yet clear where this road ultimately leads, but the journey continues to define us, and speaks to the core of our identity as a nation and as people. This blog is meant to bring a critical lens to that journey by fostering an open, informed and respectful dialogue.