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Lecture discusses racism’s persistence

Laurie Rodrigues, assistant professor of English, emphasizes the effects of capitalism on black women at her lecture “Angela Davis and Processes of Freedom Today” Tuesday in the President’s Dining Room. To support her claims, Rodrigues researched the works of black rights activists, including Davis and Kimberlé Crenshaw involving racism, sexism and inequality. Rodrigues said the treatment of black women during the time of slavery is being echoed in the present and referred to the Ferguson riots and the Black Lives Matter movement. / photo by Emily Lau
Laurie Rodrigues, assistant professor of English, emphasizes the effects of capitalism on black women at her lecture “Angela Davis and Processes of Freedom Today” Tuesday in the President’s Dining Room. To support her claims, Rodrigues researched the works of black rights activists, including Davis and Kimberlé Crenshaw involving racism, sexism and inequality. Rodrigues said the treatment of black women during the time of slavery is being echoed in the present and referred to the Ferguson riots and the Black Lives Matter movement. / photo by Emily Lau

Gabriella Chikhani
Staff Writer

Assistant Professor of English Laurie Rodrigues discussed her research on people of color and their misrepresentation and under-representation in media, politics and literature Tuesday in the President’s Dining Room.

In her talk titled “Angela Davis and Processes of Freedom Today,” Rodrigues looked at Davis’s argument that speech, language and thought prevent access to freedom and citizenship and how these are still prevalent issues.

After the lecture Jessamine Rodil, senior English major, asked Rodrigues how she would respond to people who don’t believe racism and sexism are real issues.

Rodrigues explained that some people don’t believe it exists because it doesn’t directly affect them.

Rodrigues said that we can begin to fix these problems in our society by being patient and educating people.

“We cannot come at it with anger and aggression,” Rodrigues said.

“I think the work she is doing is important because more coverage on these problems will help to dispel these misconceptions,” Rodil said.

Gabriella Chikhani can be reached at gabriella.chikhani@laverne.edu.

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