Chaired by Professor Laura Franklin-Hall
This project has three main aims: (1) to take stock of work to date on the philosophy of race and racism, (2) to catalyze new work in the field, and (3) to amplify the voices of scholars working in these areas. The project began in the Fall of 2021, with an inaugural event featuring four prominent leaders in the field: Professors Linda Martín Alcoff (CUNY), Derrick Darby (Rutgers), Brandon M. Terry (Harvard), and Naomi Zack (CUNY). The event--a panel discussion, moderated by NYU's Professor Kwame Anthony Appiah--considered the development, current state, and future of the philosophy of race and racism. Since then, the project has sponsored a number of talks, including a talk by Professor Olúfẹ́mi O. Táíwò (Georgetown) on his book Reconsidering Reparations (OUP 2022), and an upcoming series on the metaphysics of race. The series (to begin in the Spring of 2023) will feature speakers from sociology, anthropology, and biology, in addition to philosophy. Guiding questions include: How do members of your field approach questions about race? and How has their work shed light on the nature of ‘race’ as a concept and/or the question of what race “really is”?
In addition to Professor Franklin-Hall, the steering committee for the project includes:
Professor Kwame Anthony Appiah
Cristina Ballarini (Project Fellow)
Former members of the steering committee include: