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Media Advisory: Citizenship and Democracy in Post 9/11 America Focus of UAlbany Lecture
Renowned scholar Johnnella Butler will explore the disruptions and transformations that altered the connections between people and place following the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks

Contact: Catherine Herman (518) 956-8150

ALBANY, N.Y. (September 8, 2006)

What:
UAlbany Difficult Dialogues Lecture Series presents Johnnella Butler: Citizenship and Place in Post 9/11 America: The Promise of Democracy Amid Cultural, Political and Social Shifts.

When:
Tuesday, September 12, 2006, 7:30-9:30 p.m.

Who:
Johnnella Butler, provost and vice president of Academic Affairs at Spelman College. Butler recently received the Charles C. Irby Distinguished Service Award from the National Association for Ethnic Studies (NAES). The award is presented annually to an individual who has achieved distinction in his or her own professional life and community, who has demonstrated commitment to the goals and ideals of NAES, and who has shown leadership qualities in the organization.

Where:
University at Albany Campus Center Ballroom, uptown campus, 1400 Washington Ave, Albany.

Background:
The University at Albany is among a select group of universities across the country to be part of the national Difficult Dialogues initiative, which seeks to help institutions of higher education promote campuses where sensitive subjects can be discussed in an open atmosphere of scholarly inquiry, academic freedom, and respect for diversity. Selected by the Ford Foundation as one of 43 campuses from among 675 applicants in a national competition, "The program builds on the premise," said Provost and Executive Vice President Susan Herbst, "that dialogical engagement enables students to become thinkers who make informed judgments, responsible citizens who appreciate multiple perspectives, and conscientious members of a global and pluralistic community who celebrate diversity in all its forms."

The Difficult Dialogues lecture is co-sponsored by the University's Commission on Diversity and Affirmative Action and the Center for Women in Government and Civil Society.