Friday, September 26, and
Saturday, September 27,
2008
St. John's University
School of Law
8000 Utopia Parkway, Queens NY 11439
History has already been made in the 2008 U.S. presidential primary
elections and the outcome of the general elections may set new
precedent. Senator Barack Obama, the presumptive presidential
nominee for a major party, is the first African American ever to
achieve that standing. Likewise, Senator Hillary Clinton
broke records as the first woman to run competitively in the
presidential primary elections of major party in pursuit of its
nomination. Governor Bill Richardson, a Latino, similarly
sought the nomination of a major party, although he withdrew his
candidacy soon after the primaries began. Finally, former
Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney heads an all-female, all-minority
ticket for the Green Party.
Many other democracies, such as the United Kingdom, Argentina,
India, Israel, the Philippines, Pakistan, and Liberia, have or
already have had women heads of state, and other countries, like
Peru and Bolivia, have elected presidents who are members of racial
or ethnic minority groups. The United States, however, has
never elected a woman or a racial or ethnic minority as president
and has historically discriminated against both women and minority
voters and candidates. The 2008 U.S. presidential elections
will determine whether the U.S. joins the ranks of some of these
other democracies and opens a new chapter in American
politics. This election cycle will also continue to occur
under the intense gaze of robust media coverage. Indeed,
issues of race, gender, and the media have come to define the 2008
U.S. presidential elections.
This interdisciplinary symposium is comprised of a series of
engaging and expert panel discussions, featured dialogues, and
addresses, including a keynote address
by:
DONNA BRAZILE
Founder and Managing Director
Brazile and
Associates, LLC
Ms. Brazile is the first African American to lead a
major presidential campaign, a frequent CNN contributor, and Chair
of the Democratic National Committee's Voting Rights Institute
(VRI). Other speakers include renowned
scholars, practitioners, activists, government officials and
political commentators. For a full list of speakers,
click here.
The MAKING HISTORY Symposium will
investigate the subjects of race, gender, and the media in the 2008
elections by examining these issues independently, in relation to
one another, and within the broader context of law and
policy. The symposium will be held at St. John’s Queens, New
York campus on September 26-27,
2008. The topics will include the
following:
- Perspectives on Race and Ethnicity in the 2008 Elections and
Beyond
- Perspectives on Gender in the 2008 Elections
- The Role of the Media in Shaping Perceptions of Race, Ethnicity
and Gender in the 2008 Elections
- The Intersectionality of Race, Gender, Media and the Political
Process
- Election Law and Policy in the 2008 Elections
- A Dialogue on Elections and the Public Sphere
- A Dialogue on Legal Construction of Race, Gender and Identity
in the 2008 Elections
- Developments in New Technology and Media
The conference is being organized by Professor Leonard M.
Baynes, the Director of The Ronald H. Brown Center, and
Professor Janai S.
Nelson, Senior Fellow of The Ronald H. Brown Center. Professor
Baynes previously served as a scholar-in-residence at the Federal
Communications Commission ("FCC") during the administration of
William Kennard. In this capacity, Professor Baynes worked
exclusively on media diversity issues. Since joining the St. John's
law faculty in 2002, he has written several path-breaking law
review articles examining these critical issues and proposing
innovative and cutting-edge regulations to address
underrepresentation in the media. Professor Nelson is the former
Director of Political Participation of the NAACP Legal Defense and
Educational Fund, Inc. and has litigated numerous voting rights
cases, including arguing en banc before the Second Circuit Court of
Appeals in Hayden v. Pataki, a felon disenfranchisement challenge.
She teaches election law and professional responsibility at St.
John’s and has published law review articles on race and the
law.
For additional information, please contact Karyn DiDominici, Manager of Special Events
at (718) 990-1950 or vie e-mail at didomink@stjohns.edu.