Tim Wise - Racism in the Age of Obama

Tim Wise, a renowned anti-racism speaker visited Kentucky again yesterday, his first return to speak at UK since KFTC helped bring him here in 2003.

Wise recently wrote a book called "Between Barack and a Hard Place," which is a discussion of racism and white denial in the age of Obama.

"Individual accomplishment does not tell us a great deal about larger social systems," said Wise.

Towards the end of the event, KFTC member Danny Cotton asked Wise about the issue of felony disenfranchisement - something that takes away voting rights from 186,000 Kentuckians. 

"Some people are understandably disillusioned with voting and political participation - but I don't think they'd work so hard to disenfranchise so many voters if voting didn't matter,"  said Wise.

Four KFTC members worked to pass out a simple half-sheet to nearly all of the 300 people who attended the event, with information about our voting rights campaign and information about how to take action on it.

   

Our thanks to the Martin Luther King Cultural Center, Student Activities Board, and other groups who helped bring Tim with to Kentucky again.