Pre-Election Panel Addresses Inequalities

Prior to the November general election, Thacher hosted a virtual panel of renowned academics titled “Race, Immigration, and the Economy on the Eve of the Election: A Critical Conversation.” Dr. Gaye Theresa Johnson moderated the conversation between three panelists: UCLA associate professor of political science and African American studies, Dr. Lorrie Frasure; Dr. Abel Valenzuela Jr., professor of Chicana/o studies and urban planning at UCLA and director of UCLA’s Institute for Research on Labor and Employment; and renowned anti-racist author, activist, and public intellectual Tim Wise.

The panelists took questions from students throughout the event, turning the conversation to questions of the judiciary, the importance of the vote, and questions about immigration and the future of DACA. All speakers emphasized the importance of young people’s engagement in civic organizations. Adanna ’24 said she took away an important piece of information from the event: “I learned that the Black vote is critical in almost every election, a point heavily emphasized by Mr. Tim Wise.”