Cathy J. Cohen and Jarvis Givens on the Classroom

Democracy, the Classroom, and the Future of the American University

Cathy J. Cohen and Jarvis Givens explore the intersection of academic freedom, public policy and higher education’s role in shaping democracy. Using Black studies as a case study, they will discuss how legislation and political pressures influence what can be taught, researched and debated in universities and highlight how these dynamics impact broader democratic principles.

Cathy J. Cohen is the D. Gale Johnson Distinguished Service Professor at the University of Chicago.

Jarvis Givens is professor of education and African and African American studies at Harvard University.

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About the series

Convened by the WashU Department of African and African American Studies and the Center for the Humanities, this Sawyer Seminar explores how Black studies can sustain academic freedom and help reimagine democratic higher education. Through a yearlong series of conversations featuring leading scholars and public intellectuals, the seminar brings together faculty, students and community partners to examine how Black studies offers vital perspectives on power, inequality and democracy while shaping the future of higher education.

See more event dates and topics in this series by following this link.