Programs

DR. KING'S INDEPENDENT POLITICAL LEGACY: CROSSING THE RACIAL AND IDEOLOGICAL DIVIDES IN THE 21ST CENTURY

A "Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.: Remembrance and Reconciliation" Presentation

In such a deeply divided world--along racial, gender, class, religious, age, ethnic, ideological, and geographic lines--what lessons are we to learn from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to develop inclusive political practices towards achieving a more democratic society? How have American political independents such as Dr. King advanced some of the most basic changes in our republic, including the ending of slavery, the extension of the right to vote, and the protection of civil rights? Crossing the racial and ideological divides in the twenty-first century does not mean negating "race," "ideology," or any other category, but engaging in political practices that build on them. But what have these practices been historically? What is the history of independent politics in advancing democracy in the United States? In particular, what is the history of independent black politics in advancing democracy? Adult audiences

Omar H. Ali is an assistant professor of history at Towson University. He is the author of In the Balance of Power: Independent Black Politics and Third Party Movements in the United States. An honors graduate of the London School of Economics and Political Science, he is a Fulbright Scholar and the recipient of research grants from Harvard University and the University of Michigan. Dr. Ali received his Ph.D. from Columbia University.