The Darkened Light of Faith

In his latest book, , Melvin L. Rogers explores what a group of nineteenth- and twentieth-century African American activists, intellectuals, and artists can teach us about democracy in the United States. This book talk invites the audience to travel back to the 1960s and to think through the assumptions that frame our discussion about racial progress. James Baldwin asks us to disentangle our preoccupation with redemption to achieve democratic progress. Advancing democracy through dialogue may mean we don't completely forget our missteps and trauma. Advancing democracy may involve figuring out how to dialogue, given that the past and present trauma may persist.

Melvin L. Rogers, Professor of Political Science and Associate Director of the Center for Philosophy, Politics, and Economics, Brown University, will be in conversation with Lerone A. Martin, Martin Luther King, Jr. Centennial Professor, Religious Studies, and Director of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Research and Education Institute, Stanford University.

This event is co-sponsored by the McCoy Family Center for Ethics in Society and the Department of Political Science at Stanford University.

Please note that this event is in-person only, and RSVPs are requested to attend. Walk-ins are welcome. There will be a book signing after the event, and books will be available to purchase.

Speaker Bios:

Melvin L. Rogers is a Professor of Political Science and Associate Director of the Center for Philosophy, Politics, and Economics at Brown University. He is the author of The Undiscovered Dewey: Religion, Morality and the Ethos of Democracy (Columbia University Press) and The Darkened Light of Faith: Race, Democracy, and Freedom in African American Political Thought (Princeton University Press). He is also the editor of John Dewey, The Public and Its Problems (Ohio University Press), co-editor of African American Political Thought: A Collected History (University of Chicago Press), and co-editor of the book series: Oxford New Histories of Philosophy. He received the 2023 James W. C. Pennington Award from Heidelberg University for his scholarship.

Lerone A. Martin is the Martin Luther King, Jr., Centennial Professor in Religious Studies and Director of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Research and Education Institute at Stanford University. Martin is an award-winning author whose most recent book, , was published in February 2023 by Princeton University Press.

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Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Tresidder Memorial Union, Oak Lounge, 459 Lagunita Drive, Stanford, United States