“The Miseducation of Multiculturalism”

8th Annual Symposium

November 9-11, 2011

• Overview
• Schedule
• Speakers
• Art Show
• Archive
• Details

2011 Symposium Overview

What is multiculturalism? What is the place of this idea in US education? And what did German Chancellor Angela Merkel mean earlier this year when she said that multiculturalism is dead? 

This year’s symposium will consider such questions in a three-day series of panel discussions and lectures. Together we will explore the meanings of multiculturalism in the US and abroad, looking closely at the controversies and complexities surrounding this word, as well as the policies that have emerged to promote and support the idea.

The concluding event will be a performance of the Race Monologues, written and performed by a group of Lewis & Clark students. Always a highlight of the symposium, the Race Monologues is an emotionally charged and thoughtful expression of students’ experiences with racism, ethnicity, and personal identity.

The symposium also includes a student-curated art exhibition featuring work by artists from our campus and the Portland community.

All sessions are free and open to the public. 
Check out Watzek Library’s November Diversions Bookshelf in person and online here!  Enjoy selected reading related to this year’s theme.

About the Symposium

The annual Ray Warren Multicultural Symposium is a three-day series of events examining issues of race and ethnicity. Each year a team of students, with faculty and staff involvement, organizes an array of workshops, lectures, readings, panels, and performances, as well as an art show, to bring people together for conversations about issues such as immigration, public health, civil liberties, and education. All students are invited to participate in the planning process, and the interdisciplinary nature of the symposium appeals to students from across the College.

One of the highlights each year is Race Monologues, a student performance piece. In front of a packed house, L&C students use poetry, prose, and sometimes song to express their journeys to understand race, ethnicity, and personal identity.

Students worked with the Office of Ethnic Student Services (now Multicultural Affairs) to initiate the symposium in 2004 as a way to honor Ray Warren, an L&C alumnus who served as Director of Ethnic Student Services from 1992 until his death in 2004. A tireless advocate and careful listener, Ray left a lasting impact on students and colleagues alike. Read more about Ray Warren here.