Leonard Pitts Jr. is widely known for his nationally syndicated Miami Herald column that often addresses issues of race and racism, politics, and culture. In a career that spans close to 45 years, Pitts has worked as a columnist, a college professor, a radio producer, and a lecturer. He is also the author of a series of critically acclaimed books, including Becoming Dad: Black Men and the Journey to Fatherhood, and his latest, The Last Thing You Surrender. Pitts was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Commentary in 2004.
Mr. Pitts will be joined in conversation by former Miami Herald Editor Mindy Marqués, a member of Colby’s Lovejoy Award Selection Committee. This event will be livestreamed here; no registration is necessary. Closed Captions and ASL will be available.
Are you interested in the intersection between criminal and racial justice? Join the Goldfarb Center at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, April 7 for a virtual talk with Anthony Ray Hinton, one of the longest serving death row prisoners in Alabama history who was freed in 2015 after proving his innocence. Mr. Hinton, now an author and prison reform advocate, will share his story about how he survived 30 years on death row and never gave up on his quest for justice and freedom.
This talk is part of a series of events that look at the U.S. criminal justice system and racial inequalities, the theme for this year’s competitive Freedom of Expression Policy Symposium. Submit your policy proposal by April 12 and compete to win up to $2,000. Closed Captions and ASL will be available.
Check out Goldfarb’s recorded event on YouTube by Charles A. Dana Professor of Sociology Neil Gross on criminal justice reform, focused on the potential and limitations of the procedural justice model. Procedural justice is the idea that police, prosecutors, courts, and other representatives of the state should do everything in their power to ensure that the procedures they are following are fair and impartial, and to demonstrate that fairness at every turn. He will share his research in progress on what procedural justice has meant for the police department in Stockton, a city of 310,000 in California’s Central Valley. Although procedural justice reforms have been far from a panacea, there is evidence to suggest that they have helped bring meaningful change to the Stockton police department, and may have laid the groundwork for still more meaningful change yet to come.
We connect the Colby community to our nation’s most pressing current events, foster awareness of the role of public policy, and inspire active citizenship. We spark thought-provoking conversations through high-profile public events and create networking opportunities for students interested in public affairs. We believe in a nonpartisan, inclusive approach that welcomes every opinion as part of a healthy discourse.
Welcome to our new website. Our aim is to keep the broader Colby community engaged and informed on the issues that either are the main headlines of the day or that should be. Our programming, which is mostly virtual this academic year, is designed to reach the broader Colby community, including students, parents, alumni, faculty, and staff, as well as residents in Waterville and beyond.
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