UCSC hosts free public forum on elections Feb. 20 at 7:30 p.m.
The event, entitled "Our U.S. Democracy: The Contested Notion of One Person, One Vote," will feature panelists Paul Ortiz, associate professor of community studies, and Michael Brown, professor of politics. Ortiz and Brown will provide opening statements, followed by discussion and a question-and-answer session moderated by David Anthony, associate professor of history.
(Media-Newswire.com) - The public is invited to attend a free panel discussion about voting rights and the presidential election on Wednesday, February 20, at 7:30 p.m. in the Cowell College Dining Hall.
The event, entitled "Our U.S. Democracy: The Contested Notion of One Person, One Vote," will feature panelists Paul Ortiz, associate professor of community studies, and Michael Brown, professor of politics. Ortiz and Brown will provide opening statements, followed by discussion and a question-and-answer session moderated by David Anthony, associate professor of history.
The event follows the January screenings at UCSC of two documentary films about voting irregularities, American Blackout and Hacking Democracy. Satya Chima, a sophomore Cowell College student majoring in feminist studies at UCSC, organized the panel discussion to follow up on the screenings.
"The films raise a lot of important issues, especially about voter disenfranchisement as it relates to race and class, and these professors will have a lot to say about what kind of democracy we have," said Chima.
Ortiz is the author of the book Emancipation Betrayed, which focuses on the African American struggle for voting rights in Florida, which he believes helped set the stage for the civil rights movement of the 1960s. Brown is the coauthor of Whitewashing Race: The Myth of a Color-blind Society and an expert on African American politics and public policy.
"There is verifiable evidence of significant voter disenfranchisement in the last two presidential elections," said Ortiz. "With African American and Latino voters likely providing the 'swing votes' that will decide the 2008 race, many analysts are predicting a repeat of the 2000 debacle in Florida. It is more important than ever to find a way to break out of the American tradition of minority disenfranchisement, ballot box tampering, and apathy about a flawed electoral process."
The notion of a "free and fair ballot count" is of very recent origin in the U.S., added Ortiz. "Prior to the 1965 Voting Rights Act, it was taken for granted in the South, as well as in the North, that most African Americans--along with many Latinos--would not be allowed to vote or participate in electoral politics," he said. "This is why both African American and Chicano civil rights movements in the 1960s stressed voting-rights reforms that would allow them to participate equally in the political system."
Student interest in the presidential election ranges from low to high, said Chima. "There's some apathy, but I also see students who are extremely active and very excited. I hope this event will further educate people about the voting process and get people thinking."
Evening visitor parking permits are available for $2 at the kiosk near the main entrance to campus. For more information about the panel, parking, and directions, visit the web or call the Cowell College Programs Office at ( 831 ) 459-2255.
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