Presentation by Jack Straton: "The Institutional-Racism Dogpile." Could racism be a doctrine or worldview (as capitalism is) rather than an individual dysfunction? This discussion tracks how any given incidence of prejudice gets reinforced by multiple layers of institutional power, just as multiple reflections in a laser cavity amplify the light from a single photon. Straton earned a degree in photography from the University of Oregon in 1977, worked as a professional jazz drummer for three years, and then returned to the U of O in the 1980s to earn a doctorate in quantum theory. Both as a volunteer and professional diversity trainer over the past 18 years, he has presented several hundred workshops on ending sexual assault and racism.
This is Part 2 of a 5-part science series prepared by Dr. Duane Ray. "Science tells us that the world we perceive is only an approximation of our actual world. Join Dr. Ray as we glimpse our daily world as it really is. Space puckers. All is probabilities. Nothing is smooth. Everything comes in little chunks. Our TVs, our cell phones, and our computers would not be possible if we did not deeply understand the strange unfamiliar world which we inhabit. We continue to push back the limits of our understanding."
Presentation by Jack Straton: “Confronting 21st Century Racism.” This is a look at the ways we all are subconsciously choreographed into the racial dance of internalized racial superiority and inferiority. Understanding this can help us respond with compassion rather than with a holier than thou attitude when we or others pull out a dance step or two. Straton earned a degree in photography from the University of Oregon in 1977, worked as a professional jazz drummer for three years, and then returned to the U of O in the 1980s to earn a doctorate in quantum theory. Both as a volunteer and professional diversity trainer over the past 18 years, he has presented several hundred workshops on ending sexual assault and racism.
Sue Emmett discusses the role of religion and religious proselytizing in our country’s military academies.