Social Justice Book Discussion: They Can’t Kill Us All (Oct 4 and 12)

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By , September 12, 2017 9:12 am

Join Scott Curtis, book discussion leader, as we explore the book They Can’t Kill Us All: Ferguson, Baltimore, and a New Era in America’s Racial Justice Movement by Pulitzer Prize winner and Washington Post Reporter Wesley Lowery.

Copies of the book are available at the Miller Nichols Library Circulation Desk.

October 4, 2017 | 3:00 – 4:30 pm
Miller Nichols Library, 1st Floor – iX Theatre
RSVP requested for the book discussion.

 

This discussion is part of UMKC’s 11th Annual Social Justice Lecture Series.  The accompanying lecture & book signing with the author will be held on Thursday, October 12, 2017 at 6p.m. in Pierson Auditorium.

Note: Lecture fee is $10. UMKC students attend the lecture for free. Faculty who bring their students also attend free.

Book Summary:

A deeply reported book that brings alive the quest for justice in the deaths of Michael Brown, Tamir Rice, and Freddie Gray, offering both unparalleled insight into the reality of police violence in America and an intimate, moving portrait of those working to end it

Conducting hundreds of interviews during the course of over one year reporting on the ground, Washington Post writer Wesley Lowery traveled from Ferguson, Missouri, to Cleveland, Ohio; Charleston, South Carolina; and Baltimore, Maryland; and then back to Ferguson to uncover life inside the most heavily policed, if otherwise neglected, corners of America today.

In an effort to grasp the magnitude of the repose to Michael Brown’s death and understand the scale of the problem police violence represents, Lowery speaks to Brown’s family and the families of other victims other victims’ families as well as local activists. By posing the question, “What does the loss of any one life mean to the rest of the nation?” Lowery examines the cumulative effect of decades of racially biased policing in segregated neighborhoods with failing schools, crumbling infrastructure and too few jobs.

Studded with moments of joy, and tragedy, They Can’t Kill Us All offers a historically informed look at the standoff between the police and those they are sworn to protect, showing that civil unrest is just one tool of resistance in the broader struggle for justice. As Lowery brings vividly to life, the protests against police killings are also about the black community’s long history on the receiving end of perceived and actual acts of injustice and discrimination. They Can’t Kill Us All grapples with a persistent if also largely unexamined aspect of the otherwise transformative presidency of Barack Obama: the failure to deliver tangible security and opportunity to those Americans most in need of both.

– Amazon Booksellers

categories Announcements

Passion for Discovery – Undergraduate research

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By , September 12, 2017 9:03 am

Undergraduate Students Showcase Findings from Research Opportunities

The benefits of building relationships with faculty, hands-on workforce training, resume building and distinguishing yourself are all selling points for doing undergraduate research. Oh! And, according to students and faculty who have participated in undergraduate research, it can even be fun.

Students are able to reap each of those benefits by participating in any of the many undergraduate research opportunities offered at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. One of those opportunities includes the Student Undergraduate Research Opportunity (SUROP) program. SUROP provides students with a $2,000 tuition grant and covers up to $1,250 in reimbursable expenses for projects undertaken during the summer.

This past summer, 23 undergraduate students worked with faculty mentors through SUROP as they researched various topics of interest. Research topics came from a number of influences, from past research experiences to television shows. Biochemistry senior Laurie Ray said her research topic, “Expanding Applications of Green Fluorescent Protein Expression to Include Criminal Justice Reform,” was a result of the Netflix documentary “Making a Murderer.”

“My project centers on expanding the application of Green Fluorescent Protein to include its use as a blood marker in collected blood samples, such as those collected for DNA testing,” Ray wrote in her abstract.

Students learned to write and submit grant proposals, conduct research, design poster presentations to display their research findings and learn to communicate those findings to various audiences.

From the perspective of a faculty mentor, UMKC Undergraduate Research Director Jane Greer said she enjoys sharing in the excitement of students she works with. “These projects are self-chosen and, because of that, students are more passionate and excited about their work.”

As part of their research, some students had the opportunity to travel to various areas of the country to study. English junior Kennady Gales traveled to Washington, DC to study the regional impact of text by reviewing zines at the University of Maryland’s Michelle Smith Performance Arts Library. She conducted an “analysis of critical regionalism in zines throughout the straight edge punk subculture.” Gales said UMKC’s special collections library sparked her interest in studying zines during her previous research experience as a EUReka (Experiences in Undergraduate Research Courses) student researcher.

There are several ways to get involved in undergraduate research at UMKC: EUReka (Experiences in Undergraduate Research) Courses allow beginning researchers an opportunity to get their feet wet, then progress to programs such as SEARCH (Students Engaged in the Arts and Research) grants for students undertaking research during the academic year, and SUROP, to name a few.

“Undergraduate research is so much more than simply checking the box on student learning outcomes,” said Greer. “This is about students bringing their passion and enthusiasm, and faculty sharing their commitment to research with the next generation.”

Reposted from UMKC Today

categories Academics

UMKC Celebrates Constitution Day on Sept 16, 2017

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By , September 7, 2017 11:23 am

UMKC will celebrate Constitution Day on Saturday, September 16, 2017 with an event sponsored by the UMKC School of Law and the Kansas City Youth Court:  Know Your Rights and Learn the Law.

Hosted by local law enforcement and attorneys, the session will focus on how the Bill of Rights applies to individuals as well as our rights and responsibilities and how to interact with police.  Youth, parents, and students are invited to attend.

Lunch is provided:  RSVP at http://umkclaw.link/constitutiondayknowyourrights

Please see flyer for event details.

Constitution Day became a recognized federal holiday in 2004, when legislation authored by Senator Robert Byrd was signed into law.  The Act mandates that all educational institutions that receive public funding provide educational programming on the history of the American Constitution on or near September 17th each year.

 

 

categories Announcements

New Bus Route from UMKC to Crossroads, Downtown and River Market

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By , September 6, 2017 11:30 am

RideKC recently introduced a new bus route, giving riders a more direct route to the Crossroads, Downtown and the River Market.

The new 55 Universities-Crossroads route runs right through the middle of the Volker Campus campus and offers more weeknight service. Check out the RideKC website for more bus schedules and times.

Use your UMKC student ID to board any RideKC bus free.

categories Announcements

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