“Looking at the past must only be a means of understanding more clearly what and who they are so that they can more wisely build the future.” – Paulo Freire

The Heman Sweatt Center Social Good and Leadership will use the theme –Perspectives: Present/Past to explore the following questions: Who decides what is a fundamental right? How are fundamental rights given? What happens when fundamental rights are denied? How do fundamental rights affect not only the current generation, but what does it mean for generations to come?

Perspectives: Present/ Past theme invites us to examine current issues with a fresh perspective that many believed the courts had settled in the past, beginning with two pressing issues – – women’s and voter’s rights. Through opportunities for research, dialogue, guest speakers, presentations, and idea sharing, these issues will be used to engage in critical dialogues to identify the relationships with the present and past.

Funding Ideas:
Faculty, staff, and students are invited to participate in this theme through the various calendar offerings, and to consider creating course content, activities, and/or service learning projects that facilitate the exploration of this theme. Mini-grants up to $2500 are available to support campus-community members’ ideas on this topic. Please contact Dr. Keyona White, Executive Director of the HemanSweatt Center for Social Good and Leadership (knwhite@wileyc.edu), for details on how to submit a grant application to fund your project.

We acknowledge Wiley College’s Sesquicentennial and look forward to your participation in the Center’s activities that honor this milestone. Our full calendar of events is forthcoming.