CAS CONNECT 2015

12 After teaching a well-received Philosophies of Race course during the 2013-2014 academic school year, Ware was approached about serving as diver- sity coordinator for the department. Around this time, the death of Trayvon Martin in Florida sparked national atten- tion, and Ware says even the Stillwater community needed an outlet to discuss what was happening. “We formed a town hall-style discussion with OSU students and faculty to discuss what was occurring,” Ware says. “It was the basis for knowing we were ready to talk about these issues intelligently, as a community.” Since the Critical Conversations series officially began last year, it has quickly garnered interest, with attendance consis- tently around 150. The series has focused on a variety of topics including beauty standards for women of color, economic injustice and race, Islamaphobia, and a re-examination of voting rights coin- ciding with the 50th anniversary of the Selma march of 1965. The past year has also seen many significant events directly related to the mission of the series. The discussion that drew the most people (around 200) involved reac- tions to the death of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo. Ware put together a September discussion that included two OSU police officers and advocates for the #BlackLivesMatter movement. The conversation revolved around the role of police in urban environments, and despite the tension in the room, the panelists and audience members were able to commu- nicate respectfully with one another. The discussion, Ware notes, also helped provide context and language to discuss similar events throughout the year. In response to the racist chant video made by a fraternity at the University of Oklahoma, Ware formed a discussion in April about unintentional racism. This discussion was particularly close to home as it centered on OSU’s Murray Hall, which was named after former Oklahoma Gov. William H. Murray (1931-35), an openly racist politician. After having heard from multiple sides of the issue, Ware believes most people left the event in agreement that open conversation can provide educational opportunities to learn about civil rights matters — and the complexities behind Murray Hall’s name. “Racism is not just the problem of the victims. … these are the conversations everyone is saying we need to have. We’re having them at OSU.” — Lawrence Ware, OSU Department of Phi losophy lecturer and diversity coordinator CRITICAL CONVERSATIONS Lawrence Ware, lecturer and diversity coordinator for the OSU Department of Philosophy, has also helped create what he considers much- needed discussions surrounding race through Critical Conversations, a series that is housed under the philosophy department’s Ethics Center. Ware, who received his master’s from the OSU philosophy program, specializes in issues concerning race, gender, religion and economics. LAWRENCE WARE PHOTO / GARY JONES / A&S