Videos

john a. powell, head of OBI and UC Berkeley law professor, explains how fear of change is fuel to the engine of division and polarization.

On April 7, during a livestream in our #AskOBI​ series, we heard from leading scholars Stephanie M. Wildman and Margalynne Armstrong, authors of the new edition of “Privilege Revealed,” in conversation with OBI Director john a. powell.

Influential UC Berkeley scholars dive into a deep and crucial examination of the political conditions that led to the rise of Donald Trump and the consequences of his presidency on US society and the world.

How has the far-right used the pandemic to exacerbate racial othering and undermine democracy? What strategies can racial justice organizers use to build power and counter right-wing narratives? A panel of experts weighs in.

This event was organized by the Middle East and North African Studies Program at Northwestern University as part of its MENA Conversations series.

Dr. powell was among four panelists in UNC School of Law’s Center for Civil Rights symposium speaking on equal protection jurisprudence from Reconstruction, Brown v. Board of Education, and beyond.

In this “Beyond the Great Unraveling: Weaving the World Anew" conference, john a. powell delved deeply into the complexities of civil rights and liberties, structural racism, poverty, housing, racial and ethnic identity, inclusivity, spirituality and social justice, as well as the needs of citizens in a democratic society.

On Friday, Jan. 8, 2021 OBI Director john a. powell and law professor Ian Haney Lopez discussed the chaos in Washington, D.C. when Trump supporters stormed the Capitol building demanding Congress halt the certification of the presidential election results.

On December 10, OBI hosted the third Toward Belonging digital dialogue series consisting of a discussion about the possibilities and potential of an economics based on belonging.

While technology has made it easier to connect with faraway family and friends and gain access to the world’s libraries of information, it has also led to a stark loss of privacy through widespread data collection and surveillance by both government agencies and for-profit companies.