Jelani Cobb

Dean, Graduate School of Journalism, Henry R. Luce Professor, Columbia University

A Peabody Award-winning journalist and staff writer at The New Yorker, Jelani Cobb will explore the ways in which demography is a factor in the current crisis of American democracy. In his talks, he will examine the dynamics of race and immigration, and use history as a means of contextualizing contemporary conflicts around these issues.

Wednesday, Nov. 19

“American Exceptions: Notes on Race and the Crisis of Democracy”

The United States is experiencing one of the most significant challenges to its democracy in the course of its history, one that is rooted in the primordial conflicts of race. This talk will examine the ways in which unresolved questions that date back to the nation’s founding and its most consequential conflict, the American Civil War, animate the battles that have emerged in the past decade and upended democratic traditions in the United States.

Thursday, Nov. 20

“Back Where You Came From: Immigration, Nativism and Anti-Democracy in the United States”

Amid a polarized political landscape, immigration remains the most volatile issue in American politics. The current partisan battles on this issue reflect demographic anxieties deeply rooted in American history and which offer insights into how we arrived at the present impasse. This talk will examine those themes, how they originated, what their implications have been and suggest how they may shape political and social conflict in the near future.

Susan and Fayez Sarofim Hall is located on the campus of Rice University and is best reached by using Campus Entrance 8 at the intersection of University Boulevard and Stockton Drive. As you enter campus, the building is on the right. Visit the Rice website for campus maps and parking options.