Elijah Anderson to Speak on Race Relations Oct. 3 at UW

One of America’s most prominent scholars will visit the University of Wyoming when Elijah Anderson gives a campus address Thursday, Oct. 3.

Anderson plans to discuss his most recent work at 4:10 p.m. in the College of Education auditorium. The event is free and open to the public.

“Race relations in America are complex and often strained,” says Malcolm Holmes, a UW professor of sociology. “Anderson describes Philadelphia’s segregated neighborhoods and illuminates how race and class distinctions are overcome under the shared public space of the ‘cosmopolitan canopy’ of civility and cultural convergence.”

Anderson’s latest book, “The Cosmopolitan Canopy: Race and Civility in Everyday Life,” introduces the concept that an urban island of civility exists amid the ghettos, suburbs and ethnic enclaves where segregation is the norm. Under his theory, diverse peoples come together and, for the most part, practice getting along. His path-breaking study of this setting provides a new understanding of the complexities of present-day race relations and reveals unique opportunities for cross-cultural interaction. More information on his book can be found here: https://sociology.yale.edu/publications/cosmopolitan-canopy-race-and-civility-everyday-life.

Anderson, currently the Sterling Professor of Sociology and of African American Studies at Yale University, is one of the leading urban ethnographers in the nation. His publications have won numerous awards, and he has assisted, in an editorial capacity, on a wide range of professional journals and special publications. In addition, he has served on numerous national boards and as a consultant to a variety of government agencies, including the White House and Congress. For more information on Anderson, visit https://sociology.yale.edu/people/elijah-anderson.

Anderson’s talk is hosted by UW’s Office of the President; the Department of Criminal Justice and Sociology; the School of Politics, Public Affairs and International Studies; the Department of English; the School of Culture, Gender and Social Justice; and the Honors College. For more information, email Adrienne Freng at AFreng@uwyo.edu.