The idea and potential of coalitions has been around for decades (e.g., Combahee River Collective Statement, 1977). This panel will provide a broad introduction to the latest work on coalitions – what they are, why they are so important yet often misunderstood and difficult to achieve, and what needs to be done to move forward in creating broad-based change in the future. Panelists will discuss these topics from the perspective of their own work on: forging coalitions across a wide range of issue and advocacy organizations (M. Allyn Brooks-LaSure, Dara Strolovitch); the successful use of coalitions among conservative activists (Alexander Hertel-Fernandez); the psychological barriers to, and facilitators of, coalitional thinking (Jennifer Richeson); and the role of the white working class in coalitional politics (Sarah Smarsh).
Introduction:
Leslie McCall
Associate Director, Stone Center on Socio-Economic Inequality
Presidential Professor of Sociology and Political Science
The Graduate Center, CUNY
Moderator:
Dara Z. Strolovitch
Professor, Gender & Sexuality Studies
Princeton University
Panelists:
M. Allyn Brooks-LaSure
Executive Vice President for Communications
The Leadership Conference on Civil & Human Rights
Alexander Hertel-Fernandez
Associate Professor, School for International and Public Affairs
Columbia University
Jennifer Richeson
Professor, Department of Psychology
Yale University
Sarah Smarsh
Journalist and author of Heartland
Resources from the conference and conference participants are available on the Coalitional Democracy Conference page, including links to the videos for each panel and short highlights of each participant’s remarks, and links to the participants’ websites.
Presented with The Graduate Center/CUNY and as part of The Promise and Perils of Democracy series supported by the Carnegie Corporation of New York.