In conversation with Dr. Terry Anne Scott and Dr. David Domke from the Institute for Common Power, Mr. Newkirk will discuss his latest book project, Children of the Flood (Random House), a chronicle of Black communities fighting for survival in the climate crisis.

The Banned Books Club will meet monthly from March - June to discuss banned or challenged literature—from modern works like "Stamped" to classics such as "The Bluest Eye."

March 3rd - Stamped by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi

The Institute for Common Power, the educational branch of Common Power, is inviting you to join our Banned Books Club. According to a PEN America report, the 2023-2024 school year recorded the highest instances of book bans and highest number of unique titles banned on record – over 4,000 unique titles were removed in over 10,000 instances of book bans. The Institute believes in the enduring power of books to provoke thought, challenge norms, and broaden perspectives. During our meetings of the Banned Books Club we will discuss race, identity, and freedom of expression as the club dives into the societal issues these books illuminate. 

In a world increasingly wary of uncomfortable truths, we believe in the right to read freely and believe that banning books is anathema to democracy. As with our overall organizational mission of safeguarding the vote, we also hold true that safeguarding the diversity of ideas is essential to a just and inclusive democracy.

In this Institute course, Dr. Terry Anne Scott will survey the struggles and accomplishments of people of African descent in the United States during the institution of slavery. While some attention will be paid to African origins, the three sessions in this series will analyze the historical path from importation through the Civil War and the process of freedom. Through a largely, but not exclusively, chronological approach, Dr. Scott will emphasize how African Americans have worked to determine the trajectory of their own lives and worked to resist and persevere. Areas of exploration will include but are not limited to, the following: the construction of racial identity and alterity, the slave family and community, the domestic slave trade, resistance, and the process of freedom.

Lecture Four: African Americans Taking Their Freedom During the American Civil War. This lecture will examine the process of freedom and how African Americans actively changed the course of the war as they worked to change the course of America and the trajectory of their own lives.

In this Institute course, Dr. Terry Anne Scott will survey the struggles and accomplishments of people of African descent in the United States during the institution of slavery. While some attention will be paid to African origins, the three sessions in this series will analyze the historical path from importation through the Civil War and the process of freedom. Through a largely, but not exclusively, chronological approach, Dr. Scott will emphasize how African Americans have worked to determine the trajectory of their own lives and worked to resist and persevere. Areas of exploration will include but are not limited to, the following: the construction of racial identity and alterity, the slave family and community, the domestic slave trade, resistance, and the process of freedom.

Lecture Three: Abolitionism will be the focus of this lecture. How did people work individually and collectively to resist the institution of slavery? What do their efforts teach us about coalition work today?

Renowned historian and Pulitzer Prize winner Dr. Eric Foner, Professor Emeritus at Columbia University and foremost scholar on Reconstruction, will be in conversation with award-winning historian Dr. Terry Anne Scott, Director of the Institute for Common Power. Join them as they discuss Dr. Foner's paradigmatic work and how we create a just and inclusive democracy.

We are confronted today in America by an attack on truth in education. It is an attempt by politically motivated individuals, government offices, and politicians to halt the full teaching of American life by eradicating fully truthful aspects of our past, present, and potential futures. At their core, such attacks seek to erase the triumphs of African Americans, women, LGBTQ+ Americans, and others who have been vital in the struggle for civil rights and voting justice. The Institute for Common Power cannot and will not idly watch. To this end, we have created the Educators for Democracy speaker series to teach truth and encourage action that brings to fruition an inclusive democracy.

We will feature five educators from across the country each quarter who will deliver thirty minute talks on some aspect of American democracy. Each educator is an Institute for Common Power Educator Ambassador, which means they have traveled with us on a Truth & Purpose Leaning Tour. They are part of our community and understand the power of how education leads to action. The lectures will have a heavy focus on history and will work to connect the past to the present as they encourage people to engage in work that focuses on social and voting justice.

In this Institute course, Dr. Terry Anne Scott will survey the struggles and accomplishments of people of African descent in the United States during the institution of slavery. While some attention will be paid to African origins, the three sessions in this series will analyze the historical path from importation through the Civil War and the process of freedom. Through a largely, but not exclusively, chronological approach, Dr. Scott will emphasize how African Americans have worked to determine the trajectory of their own lives and worked to resist and persevere. Areas of exploration will include but are not limited to, the following: the construction of racial identity and alterity, the slave family and community, the domestic slave trade, resistance, and the process of freedom.

Lecture Two: The Domestic Slave Trade and African American Resistance. Take a virtual walking tour through Montgomery, Alabama as we retrace the steps of enslaved people who arrived in one of the largest slave markets in the country. We will also examine Black resistance in varied forms.

In this Institute course, Dr. Terry Anne Scott will survey the struggles and accomplishments of people of African descent in the United States during the institution of slavery. While some attention will be paid to African origins, the three sessions in this series will analyze the historical path from importation through the Civil War and the process of freedom. Through a largely, but not exclusively, chronological approach, Dr. Scott will emphasize how African Americans have worked to determine the trajectory of their own lives and worked to resist and persevere. Areas of exploration will include but are not limited to, the following: the construction of racial identity and alterity, the slave family and community, the domestic slave trade, resistance, and the process of freedom.

Lecture One: “The Emergency of Slavery in North America” This lecture will focus on how slavery emerged and grew in North America. It will also examine the social construction of race.

This course will delve into the complex tapestry of social, economic, and political ramifications resulting from pivotal Supreme Court decisions. From the notorious Plessy v. Ferguson (1896), which upheld racial segregation, to the transformative Brown v. Board of Education (1954), striking down state-sponsored segregation in public schools, participants will analyze how these decisions reverberated through American society.

Special emphasis will be placed on landmark cases such as Shelby County v. Holder (2013), which dismantled key provisions of the Voting Rights Act, exploring its profound impact on the political landscape, and voting rights. The course concludes with an examination of Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard (2023), probing the contemporary intersection of race and higher education. Through critical analysis and discussions, students will gain a comprehensive understanding of the intricate connections between legal decisions and the social, economic, and political dynamics that have shaped African American constitutional history.

This course will delve into the complex tapestry of social, economic, and political ramifications resulting from pivotal Supreme Court decisions. From the notorious Plessy v. Ferguson (1896), which upheld racial segregation, to the transformative Brown v. Board of Education (1954), striking down state-sponsored segregation in public schools, participants will analyze how these decisions reverberated through American society.

Special emphasis will be placed on landmark cases such as Shelby County v. Holder (2013), which dismantled key provisions of the Voting Rights Act, exploring its profound impact on the political landscape, and voting rights. The course concludes with an examination of Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard (2023), probing the contemporary intersection of race and higher education. Through critical analysis and discussions, students will gain a comprehensive understanding of the intricate connections between legal decisions and the social, economic, and political dynamics that have shaped African American constitutional history.

This course will delve into the complex tapestry of social, economic, and political ramifications resulting from pivotal Supreme Court decisions. From the notorious Plessy v. Ferguson (1896), which upheld racial segregation, to the transformative Brown v. Board of Education (1954), striking down state-sponsored segregation in public schools, participants will analyze how these decisions reverberated through American society.

Special emphasis will be placed on landmark cases such as Shelby County v. Holder (2013), which dismantled key provisions of the Voting Rights Act, exploring its profound impact on the political landscape, and voting rights. The course concludes with an examination of Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard (2023), probing the contemporary intersection of race and higher education. Through critical analysis and discussions, students will gain a comprehensive understanding of the intricate connections between legal decisions and the social, economic, and political dynamics that have shaped African American constitutional history.

The journey in the United States toward a more perfect union of multi-racial democracy is marked by a consistent pattern: painstaking work achieves significant progress, and then there is massive backlash. That backlash often has been brutal and lengthy. The abolition of slavery was followed by lynching and racial terrorism, for example. It’s a pattern that we are now living in, with the MAGA Nation backlash to the presidency of Barack Obama, increasingly diversifying American landscape, and life-changing Internet and mobile technologies. Donald Trump won in 2016 and 2024, yes, and has wrought significant damage, as has the US Supreme Court. However, if we look at the larger arc of American history, we might actually conclude that democracy is winning right now in the country. As we think about 2024 and look forward, this Institute course explores the state of American democracy, and how we have, do, and will work to overcome. Registrants will receive viewing instructions/reminders in advance of each lecture.

The journey in the United States toward a more perfect union of multi-racial democracy is marked by a consistent pattern: painstaking work achieves significant progress, and then there is massive backlash. That backlash often has been brutal and lengthy. The abolition of slavery was followed by lynching and racial terrorism, for example. It’s a pattern that we are now living in, with the MAGA Nation backlash to the presidency of Barack Obama, increasingly diversifying American landscape, and life-changing Internet and mobile technologies. Donald Trump won in 2016 and 2024, yes, and has wrought significant damage, as has the US Supreme Court. However, if we look at the larger arc of American history, we might actually conclude that democracy is winning right now in the country. As we think about 2024 and look forward, this Institute course explores the state of American democracy, and how we have, do, and will work to overcome. Registrants will receive viewing instructions/reminders in advance of each lecture.

The journey in the United States toward a more perfect union of multi-racial democracy is marked by a consistent pattern: painstaking work achieves significant progress, and then there is massive backlash. That backlash often has been brutal and lengthy. The abolition of slavery was followed by lynching and racial terrorism, for example. It’s a pattern that we are now living in, with the MAGA Nation backlash to the presidency of Barack Obama, increasingly diversifying American landscape, and life-changing Internet and mobile technologies. Donald Trump won in 2016 and 2024, yes, and has wrought significant damage, as has the US Supreme Court. However, if we look at the larger arc of American history, we might actually conclude that democracy is winning right now in the country. As we think about 2024 and look forward, this Institute course explores the state of American democracy, and how we have, do, and will work to overcome. Registrants will receive viewing instructions/reminders in advance of each lecture.

Democracy is on the ballot this November. And regardless of who wins, the fight to preserve our democracy must continue. This lecture will explore the political terrain in the wake of the outcome of the November election and suggest ways that we who believe in freedom can push our democracy forward.

Lecture 1: "The Big Lie"

This Institute for Common Power foundational course traces the arc of what we can call “Lost Cause Politics” from the post-Civil War Confederate South through the 1950s-60s Massive Resistance to Civil Rights to today’s MAGA Big Lie about the 2020 Election. There is a clear throughline of white victimhood and racism, voter intimidation and repression, and profound political struggle. It has defined America and continues to influence the nation. What can we learn from previous eras and how do we apply it to our work toward a multi-racial democracy? This course lays bare what is at stake in the 2024 elections, including reproductive rights.

Lecture 1: "Civil Rights and Massive Resistance"

This Institute for Common Power foundational course traces the arc of what we can call “Lost Cause Politics” from the post-Civil War Confederate South through the 1950s-60s Massive Resistance to Civil Rights to today’s MAGA Big Lie about the 2020 Election. There is a clear throughline of white victimhood and racism, voter intimidation and repression, and profound political struggle. It has defined America and continues to influence the nation. What can we learn from previous eras and how do we apply it to our work toward a multi-racial democracy? This course lays bare what is at stake in the 2024 elections, including reproductive rights.

Lecture 1: "Lost Cause: The Founding"

This Institute for Common Power foundational course traces the arc of what we can call “Lost Cause Politics” from the post-Civil War Confederate South through the 1950s-60s Massive Resistance to Civil Rights to today’s MAGA Big Lie about the 2020 Election. There is a clear throughline of white victimhood and racism, voter intimidation and repression, and profound political struggle. It has defined America and continues to influence the nation. What can we learn from previous eras and how do we apply it to our work toward a multi-racial democracy? This course lays bare what is at stake in the 2024 elections, including reproductive rights.

This course will delve into the complex tapestry of social, economic, and political ramifications resulting from pivotal Supreme Court decisions. From the notorious Plessy v. Ferguson (1896), which upheld racial segregation, to the transformative Brown v. Board of Education (1954), striking down state-sponsored segregation in public schools, participants will analyze how these decisions reverberated through American society.

Special emphasis will be placed on landmark cases such as Shelby County v. Holder (2013), which dismantled key provisions of the Voting Rights Act, exploring its profound impact on the political landscape, and voting rights. The course concludes with an examination of Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard (2023), probing the contemporary intersection of race and higher education. Through critical analysis and discussions, students will gain a comprehensive understanding of the intricate connections between legal decisions and the social, economic, and political dynamics that have shaped African American constitutional history.

This course will delve into the complex tapestry of social, economic, and political ramifications resulting from pivotal Supreme Court decisions. From the notorious Plessy v. Ferguson (1896), which upheld racial segregation, to the transformative Brown v. Board of Education (1954), striking down state-sponsored segregation in public schools, participants will analyze how these decisions reverberated through American society.

Special emphasis will be placed on landmark cases such as Shelby County v. Holder (2013), which dismantled key provisions of the Voting Rights Act, exploring its profound impact on the political landscape, and voting rights. The course concludes with an examination of Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard (2023), probing the contemporary intersection of race and higher education. Through critical analysis and discussions, students will gain a comprehensive understanding of the intricate connections between legal decisions and the social, economic, and political dynamics that have shaped African American constitutional history.

This course will delve into the complex tapestry of social, economic, and political ramifications resulting from pivotal Supreme Court decisions. From the notorious Plessy v. Ferguson (1896), which upheld racial segregation, to the transformative Brown v. Board of Education (1954), striking down state-sponsored segregation in public schools, participants will analyze how these decisions reverberated through American society.

Special emphasis will be placed on landmark cases such as Shelby County v. Holder (2013), which dismantled key provisions of the Voting Rights Act, exploring its profound impact on the political landscape, and voting rights. The course concludes with an examination of Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard (2023), probing the contemporary intersection of race and higher education. Through critical analysis and discussions, students will gain a comprehensive understanding of the intricate connections between legal decisions and the social, economic, and political dynamics that have shaped African American constitutional history.

A lecture offered in partnership with UW's Department of Medicine.

This lecture delves into the intricate relationship between politics and healthcare, uncovering the root causes of disparities in access and outcomes. By exploring the impact of political determinants on health equity, participants will gain a comprehensive understanding of the challenges faced in providing equitable healthcare. Through a blend of theoretical analysis and real-world case studies, this lecture equips learners with actionable solutions to address these pressing issues. Join us on this transformative journey to advocate for inclusive healthcare policies and drive meaningful change in our communities.

Lecture Outcomes

• Understand the Political Determinants of Health concept, including its historical context and significance in public health.

• Identify the political factors that influence healthcare disparities, such as policy-making processes, political ideologies, and resource allocation.

• Explore the structural inequities in healthcare systems, focusing on healthcare access, quality, and outcomes.

• Learn about the challenges involved in addressing Political Determinants, including power dynamics, policy resistance, and public opinion.

The Institute for Common Power is a key education arm of Common Power. In the Institute we engage in Movement Learning, in which we are inspired by, learn from, and build upon the strategies enacted by movements for Emancipation, Citizenship, Suffrage, Civil Rights, and Justice to inform how we take action to foster a just and inclusive democracy today.

Join Dr. Terry Scott and David Domke in an information session for the Common Power Truth and Purpose learning tour from April 18th to the 23rd.

In this three-lecture course, Dr. Terry Anne Scott will examine the Great Migration in American history. From the late nineteenth century continuing until the 1960s, millions of African Americans migrated out of the South in search of what Mississippi-born author Richard Wright once characterized as the “warmth of other suns.” Black Southerners escaped the Jim Crow South for a less racially oppressive North and West. They left, altering the racial and political landscape of the entire country.

Lecture Three: Life in a New City (Chicago, Detroit, Seattle, New York)

The swelling of the Black populations in towns and cities meant job competition and what historian Allen Spears has referred to as increased “social visibility,” both of which grated on the already thin racial tolerance of many local whites. Migration brought black and white people into ostensibly unrestricted contact, which subsequently made Blacks’ presence and varied assertions of freedom highly threatening. But Black people found a way to thrive, despite these challenges.

Join Dr. Scott as she explores the lives of Black migrants in three cities: Chicago, Detroit, Seattle, and New York. We will examine how African Americans reestablished community in these cities. Where did they work? What businesses did they create? How did they gain political power? What were their leisure outlets? How did the migration change America?

In this three-lecture course, Dr. Terry Anne Scott will examine the Great Migration in American history. From the late nineteenth century continuing until the 1960s, millions of African Americans migrated out of the South in search of what Mississippi-born author Richard Wright once characterized as the “warmth of other suns.” Black Southerners escaped the Jim Crow South for a less racially oppressive North and West. They left, altering the racial and political landscape of the entire country.

Lectures One and Two: Why They Left

In his famed 1925 anthology, The New Negro, Harlem Renaissance writer Alain Locke summarized the desire for change, for humanity that governed the hopes and dreams of Black migrants during the early twentieth century:

The tide of [Black] migration, northward and city-ward, is not to be fully explained as a blind flood started by the demands of the war industry coupled with the shutting off of foreign migration, or by the pressure of poor crops coupled with increased social terrorism in certain sections of the South and Southwest. Neither labor demand, the boll-weevil nor the Ku Klux Klan is a basic factor, however contributory any or all of them may have been. The wash and rush of this human tide on the beach line of the northern city centers are to be explained primarily in terms of a new vision of opportunity, of social and economic freedom, of a spirit to seize, even in the face of an extortionate and heavy toll, a chance for the improvement of conditions.

During lectures one and two, we will examine the push and pull factors outlined by Locke. What led people to engage in an amazing, frightening, urgent, courageous journey for a new life?

In this three-lecture course, Dr. Terry Anne Scott will examine the Great Migration in American history. From the late nineteenth century continuing until the 1960s, millions of African Americans migrated out of the South in search of what Mississippi-born author Richard Wright once characterized as the “warmth of other suns.” Black Southerners escaped the Jim Crow South for a less racially oppressive North and West. They left, altering the racial and political landscape of the entire country.

Lectures One and Two: Why They Left

In his famed 1925 anthology, The New Negro, Harlem Renaissance writer Alain Locke summarized the desire for change, for humanity that governed the hopes and dreams of Black migrants during the early twentieth century:

The tide of [Black] migration, northward and city-ward, is not to be fully explained as a blind flood started by the demands of the war industry coupled with the shutting off of foreign migration, or by the pressure of poor crops coupled with increased social terrorism in certain sections of the South and Southwest. Neither labor demand, the boll-weevil nor the Ku Klux Klan is a basic factor, however contributory any or all of them may have been. The wash and rush of this human tide on the beach line of the northern city centers are to be explained primarily in terms of a new vision of opportunity, of social and economic freedom, of a spirit to seize, even in the face of an extortionate and heavy toll, a chance for the improvement of conditions.

During lectures one and two, we will examine the push and pull factors outlined by Locke. What led people to engage in an amazing, frightening, urgent, courageous journey for a new life?

Why Having Difficult Conversations Across Difference Matters and Ways to Engage in More Equitable and Inclusive Communication Workshop Led by Dr. Devon Geary

This workshop explores the personal and political forces that drive us apart and together. We'll discuss the equitable and inclusive communication methods that dialogue facilitators use to talk about and across differences. The workshop's second session is dedicated to applying these methods in conversation.

• Session 1: Let's Talk about the Political and Personal Forces that Separate and Connect Us

• Session 2: Let's Talk about Identity and Connect in more Equitable ways for a Better Democracy

Throughout her career, she has been part of several initiatives focused on race and democracy, including at the Emmett Till Interpretive Center in Mississippi, the Highlander Research and Education Center in Tennessee, and Project Pilgrimage in Washington state.

Dr. Geary is committed to building diverse connections in pursuit of political equality, what Dr. Danielle Allen calls “bridging ties” that unite people across differences and lead to more egalitarian civic, health, education, and economic outcomes. In the Institute, Dr. Geary creates and expands programming like learning tours through the American South, educator initiatives, and virtual and in-person lectures and workshops. One of her sheroes is Ella Baker who inspired people to fight for a “freedom of the human spirit” that “encompasses all” of our rich humanity.

Why Having Difficult Conversations Across Difference Matters and Ways to Engage in More Equitable and Inclusive Communication Workshop Led by Dr. Devon Geary

This workshop explores the personal and political forces that drive us apart and together. We'll discuss the equitable and inclusive communication methods that dialogue facilitators use to talk about and across differences. The workshop's second session is dedicated to applying these methods in conversation.

• Session 1: Let's Talk about the Political and Personal Forces that Separate and Connect Us

• Session 2: Let's Talk about Identity and Connect in more Equitable ways for a Better Democracy

Throughout her career, she has been part of several initiatives focused on race and democracy, including at the Emmett Till Interpretive Center in Mississippi, the Highlander Research and Education Center in Tennessee, and Project Pilgrimage in Washington state.

Dr. Geary is committed to building diverse connections in pursuit of political equality, what Dr. Danielle Allen calls “bridging ties” that unite people across differences and lead to more egalitarian civic, health, education, and economic outcomes. In the Institute, Dr. Geary creates and expands programming like learning tours through the American South, educator initiatives, and virtual and in-person lectures and workshops. One of her sheroes is Ella Baker who inspired people to fight for a “freedom of the human spirit” that “encompasses all” of our rich humanity.

This course will explore the contemporary roots of the Movement for Black Lives (M4BL) in the long black freedom movement which spans much of the twentieth century. Central to this history is the emergence of the Black Panther Party (BPP), which was the largest of the Black Power organizations in the postwar years. With its insistence on self-determination, armed self defense, and anti-capitalist politics, the BPP provided a blueprint for Black youth activism in the years to come. In the class, we will explore the direct connection between the two organizations as well as how historical conditions shaped their visions of Black Liberation.

Lecture One: Explore the origins of the Black Panther Party in the Second Great Migration as the majority of African Americans moved from the rural South to large cities in the North and West of the United States. Central to this history is also a sustained tradition of Black nationalist thought encompassing Marcus and Amy Garvey through Malcolm X and Robert F. Williams.

Lecture Two: The second session will focus on the founding of the Black Panther Party in Oakland California and its spread throughout the United States and different parts of globe. This session will also explore how police violence and state repression shaped the BPP’s trajectory. I will use original material from my book Living for the City: Migration, Education and the Rise of the Black Panther Party in Oakland, California.

Lecture Three: Drawing on my recent book, Assata Taught Me: State Violence, Racial Capitalism and the Movement for Black Lives (2022), the final session traces the emergence of the Movement for Black Lives in response to mass incarceration and criminalization of Black people. The session will explore both the political network of #BLMM/M4BL as well as specific organizations like the Dream Defenders and BYP100. One of the core questions we will be discussing is how this movement fits into the larger history of Black Liberation struggles and what the challenges and obstacles of our current political moment.

This course will explore the contemporary roots of the Movement for Black Lives (M4BL) in the long black freedom movement which spans much of the twentieth century. Central to this history is the emergence of the Black Panther Party (BPP), which was the largest of the Black Power organizations in the postwar years. With its insistence on self-determination, armed self defense, and anti-capitalist politics, the BPP provided a blueprint for Black youth activism in the years to come. In the class, we will explore the direct connection between the two organizations as well as how historical conditions shaped their visions of Black Liberation.

Lecture One: Explore the origins of the Black Panther Party in the Second Great Migration as the majority of African Americans moved from the rural South to large cities in the North and West of the United States. Central to this history is also a sustained tradition of Black nationalist thought encompassing Marcus and Amy Garvey through Malcolm X and Robert F. Williams.

Lecture Two: The second session will focus on the founding of the Black Panther Party in Oakland California and its spread throughout the United States and different parts of globe. This session will also explore how police violence and state repression shaped the BPP’s trajectory. I will use original material from my book Living for the City: Migration, Education and the Rise of the Black Panther Party in Oakland, California.

Lecture Three: Drawing on my recent book, Assata Taught Me: State Violence, Racial Capitalism and the Movement for Black Lives (2022), the final session traces the emergence of the Movement for Black Lives in response to mass incarceration and criminalization of Black people. The session will explore both the political network of #BLMM/M4BL as well as specific organizations like the Dream Defenders and BYP100. One of the core questions we will be discussing is how this movement fits into the larger history of Black Liberation struggles and what the challenges and obstacles of our current political moment.