Brooklyn Borough President to Keynote Panel Discussion on Race and Law Enforcement

March 31, 2015 BK

BROOKLYN, N.Y. – March 31, 2015 – St. Joseph’s College (SJC) is pleased to announce that it will hold a panel discussion entitled, “Whose Lives Matter? A Conversation About Race and Law Enforcement in NYC,” in partnership with the SJC Law and Justice Society on Wednesday, April 15 at 12:40 p.m. in the Tuohy Hall Auditorium on the College’s Brooklyn Campus. At this event, Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams will deliver the keynote address.

This winter saw an eruption of long-simmering racial tensions following the death of Eric Garner and the subsequent grand jury verdict that exonerated the officers who killed him. This panel discussion will feature four SJC scholars who will address the salient issues at the root of these ongoing tensions.

Dr. Raymond D’Angelo, professor of sociology, will moderate the discussion. Dr. Joseph Pascarella, assistant professor of criminal justice, will present the Eric Garner case and Dr. Charlyn Hilliman, assistant professor of criminal justice, will present the theory behind current law enforcement policy in New York City. Dr. Ted Hamm, associate professor in the Department of Journalism and New Media, will discuss the role of the media, their depiction of the Eric Garner case and law enforcement and race in general.

By discussing these aspects of law enforcement and the role of race through the prism of the Eric Garner case, this discussion seeks to bring clarity and understanding to one of the most polarizing issues that has impacted NYC in a generation.

"The events of last winter made it all too apparent that deep divisions still exist in our community," stated Dr. Jill Rehmann, executive dean on the Brooklyn Campus of SJC. "With this event, SJC will bring together four respected members of our faculty to make sense of these divisions by discussing the Eric Garner case and provide our students with a nuanced, balanced depiction of what happened last year so that they can develop their own informed opinions." 

This event is free and open to the public. For any questions about this event or SJC, contact Michael Banach at 718.940.5584 or [email protected].

ABOUT ST. JOSEPH'S COLLEGE
St. Joseph’s College has been dedicated to providing a diverse population of students in the New York metropolitan area with an affordable education rooted in the liberal arts tradition since 1916. Independent and coeducational, the College provides a strong academic and value-oriented education at the undergraduate and graduate levels, aiming to prepare each student for a life characterized by integrity, intellectual and spiritual values, social responsibility and service. With campuses located in the Clinton Hill area of Brooklyn and in Patchogue, Long Island, the College offers degrees in more than 35 majors, special course offerings and certificates, affiliated and pre-professional programs.