Join the Northeastern Illinois University Libraries on Monday, November 15 at 4:00PM (Central Time) for a Zoom panel discussion featuring Charles E. Cobb Jr., Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz, Joyce Lee Malcolm, and Jack Rakove—four leading scholars with differing interpretations of the Second Amendment and its relationship to race and racism in U.S. history.
Joyce Lee Malcolm and Jack Rakove are constitutional historians who wrote opposing amicus briefs—available here and here—for the Supreme Court’s landmark 2008 case District of Columbia v. Heller. This court case determined whether the Second Amendment right to armed self-defense applies only to militias or to individuals as well. Historians Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz and Charles E. Cobb Jr. are veteran 1960s activists who have written distinct scholarly interpretations of race and gun rights. Dunbar-Ortiz's 2018 book Loaded: A Disarming History of the Second Amendment argues that the Second Amendment has been inextricably tied to white supremacy throughout American history, while Cobb's 2014 book This Nonviolent Stuff'll Get You Killed: How Guns Made the Civil Rights Movement Possible argues that organized and armed self-defense was central to the success of the African-American Civil Rights Movement.
This event will provide an opportunity for these four scholars to articulate the points at which their perspectives align and diverge. The panelists' opening remarks and responses to each other will be followed by Q&A with the audience. The event will be introduced by Edward Remus, Social Sciences Librarian at Northeastern Illinois University, and will be moderated by Joshua Salzmann, Associate Professor of History at Northeastern Illinois University.
This event is co-sponsored by the NEIU Department of History.
Click here to register for this event.
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The NEIU Libraries have some special projects planned to stimulate student success. You can help make these happen for NEIU students through your financial contribution.
Student Research
Each year, in conjunction with the NEIU Student Research and Creative Activities Symposium, NEIU Libraries give the Library Award for Excellence in Research, a cash award to the best student research submissions, like Biology graduate student Cassandra Ceballos’ project, “Use of Algae in a Novel Wastewater Treatment System.” Donations to the Library entirely fund these student cash awards.
Student Families
In the Ronald Williams Library we recently repurposed two offices to serve as small group study rooms. These rooms are also available to students with their own small children in tow, to provide quiet and safe spaces for study while also tending the young ones. We are also creating “kid kits,” with toys, children’s books, and coloring books that parents can check out from the Library to use while studying with young children, to help keep the kids entertained. Donations will help us create more kits and furnish the study rooms in ways that will help young parents to be students as well. We know that being a college student AND a parent is tough. We are trying to make it easier.
Media Literacy
The Ronald Williams Library has a small collection of media equipment and technology, including video cameras and tripods (supplied by the Goodwin College of Education), Raspberry Pi microcomputer kits, and audio headphones. We would like to grow this collection with a few action cameras (GoPro for example), some DSLR or mirrorless digital cameras, audio recording kits, and general media peripherals to help students make better media products with their smartphones. These tools would be available for all students to borrow, regardless of their major or department affiliation. We live in a media-rich world. If students have access to better media tools, they will be able to learn more effectively, grow their workplace skills, and have expanded options for their own personal creativity. Your financial support can help us grow this service.
Dean’s Challenge
If we get 10 Giving Tuesday donations this year in ANY AMOUNT, I pledge to donate $500 myself. Make me PAY! Many of you have been so generous in the past. We are hoping we can count on you this year to make our Giving Tuesday campaign a success. Thanks for your support.
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Wishlist (your support can help us acquire these items)
4 Wall-mounted dry-erase whiteboards: $700
2 GoPro HERO10 action cameras plus peripheral kits: $1,200
2 Panasonic LUMIX G85 mirrorless cameras: $2,200
2 Panasonic alternate lenses: $1,000
2 Zoom PodTrak P4 portable audio recorders with headphones and microphones: $1,000
2 Neewer LED lighting kits: $500
2 Smartphone media kits with tripod, microphone, LED lighting, and peripherals: $400
4 HP scientific and financial calculators: $300
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