3:30-5:00 p.m.
I. Why Do Ideas Matter? (a keynote panel)
We introduce the “meta” theme of the conference by hearing “success stories” from diverse voices discussing their experiences intervening intellectually.
Timuel Black, Chicago activist; Prof. Emeritus, City Colleges of Chicago
Lonnie Bunch, President, Chicago Historical Society
Bernardine Dohrn, Northwestern University Law School, Children and Family Justice Center
Gerald Graff, UIC, College of Liberal Arts & Sciences
Richard Rorty, Stanford University, Philosophy
6:00 p.m. Patricia Williams (Columbia University Law School) Harold Washington Library Center
7:30 p.m. Dinner for Patricia Williams and Conference Presenters
Saturday, April 20th 9:00-11:00 a.m.
I. Working Breakfast
This session brings together people taking on important social problems in theory and in practice. They will gather according to interest, such as "housing," "poverty," "human rights," and "education," to teach each other to create new collaborative networks. All are invited to participate.
Guest participants will include:
Arvis Averette (housing issues)
Jim Duignan (DePaul, Stockyard Institute)
Stevan Weine (UIC Psychiatry, refugees and survivors of terrorism)
and others
11:15-2:00 p.m.
III. Lunch and Public Encounters
Alternative breakout tours led by Chicago activists. Tours of Bronzeville and other communities, and visits to organizations that are working on partnering theorists with activists.
2:15-3:45 p.m.
IV. Intellectuals in Times of Crisis
Experiences and applications of intellectual work in urgent situations.
William Ayers, UIC, College of Education; author of Fugitive Days
Douglass Cassel, Northwestern University, Center for International Human Rights
Cathy Cohen, University of Chicago, Political Science
Salim Muwakkil, Chicago Tribune; In These Times
Barack Obama, Illinois State Senator
Barbara Ransby, UIC, African-American Studies (moderator)
4:00-6:00 p.m.
V. “Mini-Conference” on Genetics and Ethics: a special topic panel that acts like a test case of public intellectual work.
Lori Andrews, Chicago-Kent College of Law
Rex Chisholm, Northwestern University, Center for Genetic Medicine
Eduardo Kac, School of the Art Institute of Chicago
Martha Nussbaum, University of Chicago, Law and Philosophy
Dorothy Roberts, Northwestern University, Law
Arnold Eiser, University of Illinois at Chicago, General Internal Medicine (moderator)