UT will host the ‘Civil Discord’ symposium, a free, public series of dialogues about topics ranging from liberalism to race relations, on Thursday and Friday.

The symposium is part of the College of Liberal Arts’ effort to encourage open discussion across political boundaries and foster academic freedom on campus.

Sponsored by the COLA, the Civitas Institute and the University of Austin, Civil Discord will feature UT and non-UT scholars in five debate-style dialogues, with two speakers on opposite sides of an issue and a moderator.

Dialogues 

The event opens on March 21 in the Hogg Memorial Auditorium at 5:30 p.m. with the dialogue titled “Should We Strive for a Colorblind America?” featuring UT professor Peniel Joseph and writer Coleman Hughes.

The symposium will resume at 10 a.m. the next day in the Etter-Harbin Alumni Center. Richard Reddick and John McWhorter, associate professors at UT and Columbia University respectively, will discuss the question of “Has Antiracism Gone Too Far, or Not Far Enough, on University Campuses?”

Immediately afterward, Stephanie Shonekan, an associate professor and dean at the University of Maryland will discuss “Is 1619 or 1776 the True Founding Year of America?” with Adam Seagrave, an associate professor at Arizona State University.

On the topic of “Is the Traditional University Broken Beyond Repair?” COLA Dean Ann Stevens will talk with Pano Kanelos, the founding president of the University of Austin.

The event concludes with the keynote dialogue, “Is Liberalism Doomed?” featuring New York Times columnists Michelle Goldberg and Ross Douthat.