Dr. Cedric Johnson joins the In Your Face Lecture Series
Coming to the lecture podium on Monday, April 14 is distinguished Professor Dr. Cedric Johnson to deliver a speech titled Policing and Late Capitalism: America after George Floyd, during which he will speak on the criminal legal system, race, and activism. Dr. Johnson is a professor of African American Studies and Political Science at the University of Illinois in Chicago. Alongside his academic endeavors, Johnson is an accomplished author, writing Revolutionaries and Race Leader: Black Power and the Making of African American Politics among others.
This will be the 19th installment of the In Your Face Lecture Series sponsored by Professor Jules Boykoff, the Chair of the Department of Politics and Government. “The In Your Face Lecture Series is designed to give a speaker who comes from off-campus an opportunity to present a thesis that is somewhat outside the box of mainstream discourse,” says Prof. Boykoff regarding each lecture. The series is a collaboration between Prof. Boykoff and specific students that help fund each lecture and in turn, get the opportunity to introduce the speaker to the rest of campus. This year, Criminal Justice major Ryden Kubo will get the honor to introduce Dr. Johnson to the crowd.
“Dr. Cedric Johnson is a widely respected intellectual and academic who writes about the intersection of class and race in ways that are innovative and that have gotten a lot of traction in the wider society,” voices Boykoff about Dr. Johnson’s appeal. His books and lectures critiquing what the Black Lives Matter movement missed and continues to miss are well worth the listen. Boykoff adds that Dr. Johnson feels that in order to advance toward a more equitable society, we need to talk about class alongside race in a meaningful way. Taking the time to listen to Dr. Johnson’s lecture can enable observers to open their eyes to important justice issues and all students are encouraged to participate.