As the 50th anniversary of the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 approaches, many have questioned whether the U.S. has entered a post-racial era. While some racial progress has been made, conditions suggests the post-racial tag is premature: violence, high unemployment, and low graduation rates particularly afflict people living in communities of color in cities across the country.

Taubman College of Urban and Regional Planning is proud to host a symposium and special programming that will explore the role of the urban planner in a supposedly “post-racial” society. Join nationally recognized scholars and practitioners to discuss the contributions that urban planners of color have made to cities and to the field of planning; examine how planning is engaging critical debates about race, ethnicity, and poverty; and suggest what will be needed to meet the challenges of the 21st century and to serve the needs of the nation’s evolving demographics.

University of Michigan faculty and guest speakers will include:

Lisa Bates, Portland State University;
Teresa Cordova, University of Illinois-Chicago;
Harley Etienne, University of Michigan;
Malik Goodwin, Detroit Economic Growth Corporation;
Joseph Grengs, University of Michigan;
Clara Irazabal, Columbia University;
June Manning Thomas, University of Michigan;
Catherine L. Ross, Georgia Institute of Technology;
Leonie Sandercock, University of British Columbia;
Sigmund Shipp, Hunter College/CUNY;
Conan Smith, Suburbs Alliance, Inc.;
Betsy Sweet, Temple University;
Henry Louis Taylor, Jr., SUNY at Buffalo;
Karen Umemoto, University of Hawaii;
Monica Villalobos, AECOM/University of California-Berkeley

RSVP is required to attend. Please direct any questions to Aja Bonner (Ajalill@umich.edu).