Shasha Seminar: Prof. Nell Irvin Painter–“What the History of White People Can Tell Us about Race in America” Sat., 4/9–8 p.m.

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The 9th Annual Shasha Seminar for Human Concerns

Keynote Address by Nell Irvin Painter

“What the History of White People Can Tell Us about Race in America”

Saturday, April 9, 2011    8:00 p.m.

Memorial Chapel

 Americans are likely to think first and only of black people when the topic of race arises.  But in the past Americans considered as white were assigned to a hierarchical spectrum of different white races.  This fascinating history suggests some ideas about the functions of racial categorization in science and in everyday life.   

Nell Irvin Painter is Edwards Professor of American History, Emerita, at Princeton University. The former president of the Organization of American Historians  and a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, she is the author of seven books, including Standing at Armageddon (1987), Sojourner Truth (1996), and The History of White People (2010). In addition to her scholarly life, Nell Painter currently is pursuing an MFA in painting at the Rhode Island School of Design.