Structures of Inequality
SPRING 2021 | Moving Forward
In the fall, Honors Carolina (in tandem with the Phi Beta Kappa Society) kicked off an ongoing examination of Systems of Inequality with a series of programs on structural racism. This semester, we will turn our attention to related questions of bias and discrimination. Topics will range from equity in the media to the rural-urban divide, college access, and deconstructing the gender binary.
FALL 2020 | A Focused Look at Systemic Racism
In the summer of 2020, the longstanding realities of systemic racism were laid bare by the COVID-19 pandemic and ongoing police violence. In Fall 2020, Honors Carolina, in partnership with UNC’s chapter of Phi Beta Kappa, launched a campus-wide talk and action series entitled Structures of Inequality: A Focused Look at Systemic Racism. Faculty, students, staff, and members of our local community were invited to come together for six topical discussions with faculty experts, and six hours of action designed to martial knowledge in the fight against racism.
Our discussions examined how systemic racism has affected health disparities, education, criminal justice, economic disparities, and the ways we think. Over 1500 attendees joined us for these conversations. Links to the individual events are available below. Hours of action offered an opportunity for attendees to reserve a common hour to engage in meaningful, impactful actions and to share recommendations, all based on our Honors Carolina Resource Guide. Responses from brief surveys following the Hours of Action revealed that attendees read hundreds of articles, watched talks, signed petitions, ordered additional resources, and made donations to associations supporting anti-racism actions.
We are eager to share the talk and action series with you and hope that you will do the same with others who may have a personal interest or might use the series in their programs and organizations.
