Lecture by Steven Salaita

Lecture by Steven SalaitaSalaita

Title: “Uncivil Rites: Palestine, Indigenous Peoples, and Academic Freedom”

Abstract: Salaita will examine how academic freedom is restricted around issues of decolonization and assess how critique of American and Israeli colonization might be productively undertaken.

Date: Monday, April 20, 2015
Time: 3:305pm
Location: 1210 Heller Hall

Bio: Steven Salaita is the author of the following books (among other publications): Anti-Arab Racism in the USA: Where it Comes From and What it Means for Politics (2006) – Winner of 2007 Gustavus Myers Center for the Study of Bigotry and Human Rights’ “Outstanding Book” Award; The Holy Land in Transit: Colonialism and the Quest for Canaan (2006); Modern Arab American Fiction: A Reader’s Guide(2011); and Israel’s Dead Soul (2011). In October 2013, The University of Illinois offered a professorial position to Salaita. Illinois withdrew its offer in 2014 after high level administrators reviewed tweets of his that they viewed as “uncivil” (Salaita’s tweets critiqued genocide and settler colonialism in Palestine.) On August 1, 2014, University of Illinois Vice President for Academic Affairs Christophe Pierre and University of Illinois Chancellor Phyllis M. Wise cancelled the Illinois job offer at a point after Salaita had resigned his position at Virginia Tech. Salaita argues this was an infringement on his academic freedom. He continues to advocate for academic freedom, Indigenous Rights, social justice, and decolonization in Palestine and the US.
Official Sponsors:
Department of American Indian Studies (UMN-TC)
Department of American Studies (UMN-TC)
Culture and Teaching Program in Department of Curriculum and Instruction (UMN-TC)
School of Social Work, Youth Studies Program and Social Justice Program (UMN-TC)
Department of Gender, Women, and Sexuality Studies (UMN-TC)
Office for Equity and Diversity (UMN-TC)
Macalester College
Students for Justice in Palestine

Macalester Students United for Palestinian Equal Right