‘Liberty and Justice for All? The History of Voting Rights in America” is Explored in CSM’s Upcoming Free Voter Education Series Oct. 22
Registration is underway for the fourth segment of the College of Southern Maryland’s (CSM) and St. Mary’s College of Maryland’s (SMCM) 2020 ‘Informed, Engaged, Empowered = Ready – Set – VOTE!’ virtual series. The public is invited to join the free, interactive event, ‘Liberty and Justice for All? The History of Voting Rights in America,’ Oct. 22 from 7-8 p.m. and discover the evolution of American voting rights.
Featuring panelists CSM Professor of History and Humanities and Social Sciences Department Chair Dr. Christine Arnold-Lourie and SMCM Professor of Political Science Dr. Susan Grogan, participants will learn how certain populations were denied the right to vote, the hard-fought battles to gain suffrage and about discriminatory voting practices that still exist today.
“With the election less than two weeks away, it is important that our students and communities learn, or be reminded, of their rights at the polls as well as the hard fought battles that took place to guarantee those rights,” said CSM Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr. Center for Leadership Director and CSM Communication Professor Denise Gilmer-Knudson. “We are pleased to bring this panel together to discuss election integrity and the Voting Rights Act – including stories of Marylanders who worked hard to ensure our voting freedoms and a secure election process.”
A political science professor at SMCM since 1983, Grogan’s teaching interests include most aspects of American politics, in particular those areas related to law and courts as well as elections and public participation, including political polls. Professor Grogan’s research interests reinforce her teaching areas. She has written on American and Canadian Indian justice systems, the United States Supreme Court, and – most recently – on the use of web-writing in the political science classroom. Grogan has been department chair and a member of the SMCM Faculty Senate. She was also the first Associate Provost (now Dean) for Faculty Affairs.
Arnold-Lourie is a history professor who has worked at CSM for nearly 30 years, joining the faculty as a full-time instructor in 1991. In addition to United States history classes, Arnold-Lourie also teaches Women in Europe, The American Experience and The History of Race and Racism. She is the co-author, along with Susan Schaeffer and Julia King, of “Pathways to History,” a history of Charles County, published in 2008. Arnold-Lourie was selected last year as one of 10 new members to serve the Faculty Advisory Council for the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC), a national organization that advocates for community college excellence.
The event will be moderated by SMCM Director of the Center for the Study of Democracy Dr. Antonio Ugues. Ugues teaches courses in comparative politics, democracy and elections, and the politics of Latin America at SMCM. He received his PhD in political science from the University of California at Riverside and his research interests include democracy, electoral systems and electoral integrity in Latin America. His work has appeared in several academic venues including: Electoral Studies; Journal of Politics in Latin America; Latin American Politics and Society; Journal of Elections, Public Opinion, and Parties; Journal of Legislative Studies; and Democracy and Security. His current research agenda explores attitudes toward democracy and electoral integrity in contemporary Mexican and U.S. politics.
Registration is required to participate in ‘Liberty and Justice for All? The History of Voting Rights in America,’ and to receive the Zoom address and password.
‘Liberty and Justice for All? The History of Voting Rights in America’ is part four of a larger five-part series that began Sept. 15 with a live webinar during the launch of the CSM Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr. Center for Leadership. The first webinar included commentary about bi-partisanship from Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan and an intimate conversation between Maryland Senate President Emeritus Mike Miller, a panel of college students and the audience about the senator’s life in politics and his take on the current political climate.
Calendar:
Registration for ‘Liberty and Justice for All? The History of Voting Rights in America’: 7 -8 p.m. Oct. 22. Zoom. Join CSM Professor of History and Humanities and Social Sciences Department Chair Dr. Christine Arnold-Lourie and St. Mary’s College of Maryland Professor of Political Science Dr. Susan Grogan as they travel through history to discover the evolution of American voting rights. Learn how certain populations were denied the right to vote, the hard-fought battles to gain suffrage and discriminatory voting practices that still exist today. RSVPs are required to access Zoom information.