Homework Assignment from Claudia Rankine

On February 2, Claudia Rankine invited the campus to submit Pecha Kucha presentations.  A broadcast email was sent out on February 10th, below are details from the email:

Durst Distinguished Lecturer Claudia Rankine & Purchase College Present:

A Racial Imaginary Institute “Pop Up” @ Purchase College

Thursday, March 2, 4:30-6pm, Humanities Theater

 “If we are not conscious about how we construct societies around race, then we will construct what was unconsciously constructed.”   – Claudia Rankine

What does it mean to investigate the construction of race in our everyday lives?

In what ways are these constructions practiced, maintained, and enforced?

We invite faculty, staff and students across campus to contribute to a special Durst Lecture Series event with Claudia Rankine.  Join us in creating imaginative and challenging investigations of the role of whiteness in our everyday spaces.  How is white dominance visible or invisible in the terrain familiar to you?  How could you use images to provoke a thoughtful interrogation of white supremacy in your area of study or work?

We seek broad community engagement and hope a multi-disciplinary approach will expand and deepen our understandings of white dominance and help us think through our roles in the fight toward equality.

The event will take place Thursday, March 2, from 4:30-6 p.m., in the Humanities Theater. 

Prospective participants should compile a Pecha Kucha "20x20" presentation.  Pecha Kuchas consist of 20 slides that self-advance after 20 seconds, giving the presenter 20 seconds to talk about each slide, for a total presentation time of exactly 6 minutes, 40 seconds.  We expect to present 8-10 Pecha Kuchas, followed by Q&A with participants and Claudia Rankine.

Please consider submitting!  The submission deadline is Thu., Feb. 23. 

Submission instructions

·      All submissions must be in PowerPoint. 

·      All submissions must contain 21 slides: the first slide should give your name; the remaining 20 are the images you will talk about. 

·      Include brief talking points in the "notes" field for each image to help us imagine your presentation.  

·      The submission deadline is Thu., Feb. 23, 2017.  Early submissions are welcome.

·      Email your PowerPoint to Purchase.Pecha.Kucha@gmail.com.

Submissions workshop

The Multicultural Center is planning a workshop to answer questions and brainstorm with those who are intrigued but unsure.  Stay tuned for details, or contact Daisy Torres, ceg.multicultural.center@purchase.edu.

For more on Pecha Kucha as a presentation style, please visit: www.pechakucha.org . 

For more on the event or on submitting, contact Prof. Mariel Rodney (mariel.rodney@purchase.edu) or Prof. Jennie Uleman (jennifer.uleman@purchase.edu).