Spring 2019 Honors Colloquium
Paul Robeson Now: Race, Ethics, and Social Justice
In celebration of the 100th anniversary of Paul Robeson’s graduation from Rutgers College, the SAS Honors Program will explore the life and legacy of Paul Robeson in our spring 2019 Honors Colloquium. We’ll compare and contrast Paul Robeson’s achievements and struggles as a college student in the early 20th century to challenges faced by students today. In particular, we will study the enduring struggle of modern public universities to meet their stated goals of inclusivity and empowerment for a diverse student body. Students will use ethical concepts and reasoning to debate pressing questions in the university today, ranging from admissions criteria and support for student athletes to creating open forums for a wide range of political points of view. The class will combine large guest lectures with small discussions.
Final Group Action Project Proposal
Students in each colloquium section will work collectively to craft a proposal for an action project that responds to a problem or need on the Rutgers-New Brunswick campus from an ethical or social justice perspective. The topic may relate to race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexuality, class, other categories of identity, or relate to issues pertaining to inclusion, equality, and social justice. Students will present their final action project proposal in a poster session during the last day of class.
Learn more about Paul Robeson (1898-1976): https://news.rutgers.edu/feature/paul-robeson-renaissance-man-fought-injustice/20160214#.W83z2S-ZPBI
[Paul Robeson’s Rutgers College yearbook photo; Class of 2022 RU students. Photos courtesy of Rutgers University.]