Lecture One: "Diversity" - Explores how the "minority rights" revolution of the 20th century, sparked by the Black Freedom Movement, widened to encompass Asian Americans.

She is the author of the award-winning book The Color of Success: Asian Americans and the Origins of the Model Minority (2014), and is currently writing Overrepresented: The Surprising History of Asian Americans and Racial Justice, a new story about diversity, data, and democracy in the United States.

Lectures for this course will be recorded for everyone to watch on your own timing. Registrants will receive viewing instructions/reminders in advance of each lecture.

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."

May 5th - The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison

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.

Lecture Three: “What do we want?!” From Civil Rights Protests to Black Power Politics, April 16

The Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s transformed America. It ended legalized racial segregation, extended the franchise to Black southerners, and created unprecedented job, business, and housing opportunities for Black northerners. But it also left a great deal undone. This course explains the origin, evolution, and outcomes of the Civil Rights Movement. In approach, it looks at the movement from the bottom-up and the inside-out, aiming to make clear how everyday Black people made America a fairer and more just - if still imperfect - society.

Lecture Two: The Arc of Justice: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Mass Mobilizing April 9

The Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s transformed America. It ended legalized racial segregation, extended the franchise to Black southerners, and created unprecedented job, business, and housing opportunities for Black northerners. But it also left a great deal undone. This course explains the origin, evolution, and outcomes of the Civil Rights Movement. In approach, it looks at the movement from the bottom-up and the inside-out, aiming to make clear how everyday Black people made America a fairer and more just - if still imperfect - society.

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."

April 7th - An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz

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.

Lecture One: Groundwork: The Origins of the Civil Rights Movement. April 2

The Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s transformed America. It ended legalized racial segregation, extended the franchise to Black southerners, and created unprecedented job, business, and housing opportunities for Black northerners. But it also left a great deal undone. This course explains the origin, evolution, and outcomes of the Civil Rights Movement. In approach, it looks at the movement from the bottom-up and the inside-out, aiming to make clear how everyday Black people made America a fairer and more just - if still imperfect - society.

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?