NMU Plans Events Around 'Citizen: An American Lyric'
Northern Michigan University has scheduled a semester-long series of presentations, film screenings, reading groups and creative responses to Claudia Rankine’s Citizen: An American Lyric, this year’s Diversity Common Reader Program selection. The book recounts mounting racial aggressions in ongoing encounters in 21st century daily life and in the media.
The March events follow. All are free and open to the public.
Tuesday, March 14: NMU Professor Terry Delpier will host a reading group to discuss chapters four through six of Citizen: An American Lyric from noon to 1 p.m. in room 106 of the Learning Resources Center.
Thursday, March 16: The film Reel Injun will be screened at 6:30 p.m. in the Art and Design building room 165. The film traces the evolution of Hollywood’s depiction of Native Americans from the silent film era through today. It features clips from hundreds of classic and recent movies, along with candid interviews with Native and non-Native celebrities, activists and historians. A post-film discussion will be led by April Lindala, director of the NMU Center for Native American Studies, and Patricia Killelea, assistant professor of English.
Wednesday, March 22: The film 13th will be shown at 6 p.m. in Jamrich Hall 1100. The film takes an in-depth look at the prison system in the United States and how it reveals the nation’s history of racial inequity.
Thursday, March 23: A program titled “The Skeleton in Our Closet: The KKK in Michigan” will be held at 7 p.m. in NMU’s Olson Library. Presenters are Marcus Robyns, NMU archivist; Frank Boyles, director of Clarke Historical Library; and Jessica Holman, director of the Negaunee Public Library.
Tuesday, March 28: NMU Professor Terry Delpier will host a reading group to discuss chapter seven of Citizen: An American Lyric from noon to 1 p.m. in room 106 of the Learning Resources Center.
Wednesday, March 29: Carter Wilson, NMU political science department head, will present “Citizenship and the Alchemy of Race” at 5 p.m. in room 165 of the NMU Art and Design Building.
