15
April 2011
Past Event
Race and Racism in America: Are We Now A Color Blind Society?

Race and Racism in America: Are We Now A Color Blind Society?

Past Event
Hudson Institute, Washington, D.C. Headquarters
April 15, 2011
Default Event Image
15
April 2011
Past Event

1015 15th Street, N.W., 6th Floor
Washington, DC 20005

Speakers:
William Schambra,

Hudson Senior Fellow and Director, Bradley Center for Philanthropy & Civic Renewal

Ron Christie,

CEO of Christie Strategies and author

Dr. Gail Christopher,

Vice President of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation

Sterling Speirn,

President and CEO of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation

Stephan Thernstrom,

Winthrop Research Professor of History at Harvard University

A year ago, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation announced its "America Healing" initiative, a five-year, $75 million program of grants focusing "on bringing healing to divided communities and bridging racial gaps in the areas of education, health, juvenile justice, economic success, the media, and other areas."

Writing in NCRP's Responsive Philanthropy, Dr. Gail Christopher, Kellogg's vice president for program strategy, noted that the initiative reflects a belief that "our racialized social and opportunity structures have generated and continue to generate two consistent outcomes: privilege for some, and obstacles, pain and suffering for others." Acknowledging this fact, however painful, is the "beginning of the healing process." "In mandating that the W.K. Kellogg Foundation become an effective anti-racist organization," she wrote, "the foundation's board of trustees acknowledged both the implicit benefits of white privilege and the foundation's obligation to be responsive to the needs produced by centuries of structural racism."

Kellogg's announcement was viewed skeptically by Stephan Thernstrom, Winthrop Research Professor of History at Harvard University. Writing for the Wall Street Journal, he asked "What evidence convinced Kellogg that racism is such a clear-and-present danger to the children of America today? Foundation officials point to racial and ethnic disparities. . . . But is it self-evident that these economic and educational differences are simply or even largely 'the consequences of racism.'"

Hudson Institute's Bradley Center held a discussion of the "America Healing" initiative and its intellectual underpinnings.

Recommended Reading

Dr. Gail C. Christopher, DN, "Healing America: A Funder’s Commitment to
Racial Equity(Healing America: A Funder's Commitment to Racial Equity)":http://www.ncrp.org/files/rp-articles/rp-summer10-christopher.pdf, Responsive Philanthropy,(Summer 2010)

Stephan Thernstrom, Kellogg's Bet on 'Racial Healing,' Wall Street Journal, May 21, 2010

Related Events
08
October 2025
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
Relearning Great Power Diplomacy: A Conversation with Wess Mitchell
Featured Speakers:
Wess Mitchell
A detail photo of “A Peace Conference at the Quai d'Orsay” by William Orpen. (Wikimedia Commons)
08
October 2025
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
Relearning Great Power Diplomacy: A Conversation with Wess Mitchell

Join Hudson’s Peter Rough for a discussion with Wess Mitchell on the future of great power diplomacy.

A detail photo of “A Peace Conference at the Quai d'Orsay” by William Orpen. (Wikimedia Commons)
Featured Speakers:
Wess Mitchell
09
October 2025
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
How Promoting Freedom in North Korea Makes America Safer and Stronger
Featured Speakers:
Representative Young Kim (R-CA)
Greg Scarlatoiu
Sean Chung
Rose Jang
Hannah Oh
Moderator:
Getty Images
09
October 2025
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
How Promoting Freedom in North Korea Makes America Safer and Stronger

Join Hudson Institute for a discussion on the connection between human rights in North Korea and US national security.

Getty Images
Featured Speakers:
Representative Young Kim (R-CA)
Greg Scarlatoiu
Sean Chung
Rose Jang
Hannah Oh
Moderator:
09
October 2025
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
The View from Bucharest with Foreign Minister Oana-Silvia Țoiu
Featured Speakers:
H.E. Oana-Silvia Țoiu
Getty Images
09
October 2025
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
The View from Bucharest with Foreign Minister Oana-Silvia Țoiu

With Peter Rough, Foreign Minister Țoiu will discuss Black Sea security, the war in Ukraine, Russia’s hybrid attacks, and Romania-US relations.

Getty Images
Featured Speakers:
H.E. Oana-Silvia Țoiu
10
October 2025
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
The Deepening Russia-China Partnership
Featured Speakers:
John Lough
Sergey Aleksashenko
Moderator:
Getty Images
10
October 2025
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
The Deepening Russia-China Partnership

Join Hudson Institute for a panel discussion on how the United States and its allies can combat the rise of this authoritarian alliance.

Getty Images
Featured Speakers:
John Lough
Sergey Aleksashenko
Moderator: