The department of political science and the Washington Institute for the Study of Inequality and Race (WISIR) hosted a discussion with Christina Greer, associate professor of political science at Fordham University, and UW Professor Megan Ming Francis on Oct. 14.
Centered around race, gender, and American democracy, the conversation was part of the “Democracy Discussions” series hosted by the department of political science in the lead up to and after the upcoming election.
“I decided to traverse cross country in the middle of an election season, so I could talk to [Professor Francis] and UW students about not just the 2024 election, but student democracy writ large, since this is an incredibly consequential election,” Greer said.
After opening remarks from professor Rachel Cichowski, the chair of the political science department, and professor Sophia Wallace, the director of WISIR, the discussion began with an introduction to Greer’s background. Greer, who studies urban and Black politics, spoke about her first experiences with politics at a young age, and taking introductory political science classes in her first year at Tufts University.
The conversation shifted to the promise of democracy and the importance of local elections. The speakers stressed that despite the United State’s history of racism and imperialism, American democracy is a living, breathing entity and progress can be made.
“And so if you have a nation that’s predicated on white supremacy and anti-Black racism, from its inception, we’ve evolved astronomically over time in really impressive ways, but we’re still not at the ideals,” Greer said. “So I’m fascinated with the progress and the process of this big experiment that we have.”
Ming asked about the 2024 election in particular, and understanding Vice President Kamala Harris in a historical context. While many people have been quick to compare Harris to former President Barack Obama, they both are part of a larger tradition of Black politicians who ran for president, including Jesse Jackson and Shirley Chisholm, the first Black person to run for a major party presidential nomination. Black women especially have been instrumental in protecting democracy and have been an important bloc within the Democratic party, a topic Greer discusses further in her upcoming book.
When asked what to say to people who dislike both candidates, Greer mentioned strategic voting and trying to do the least harm, as no party or candidate is perfect, although one is more authoritarian than the other.
The evening ended in a discussion on what students and other people can do to support democracy. This included paying attention to local politics, where most politicians get their start, running for office, and using technology to bring new ideas.
“Hopefully, you all will leave feeling like you have a foundation and that you’re inspired to invest in your own democracy and not punt it to someone else,” Greer said.
Reach reporter Meera Nambiar at [email protected]. X: @Meera_N1
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