The Constitution and America’s New Racial Battle Lines

In defending their respective places in ongoing debates about racial policy, contemporary conservatives and progressives each claim their approach is mandated by the Constitution. The approaches themselves—one rooted in traditionalism, the other advocating for radical repair—seem to defy such shared origin.

For the 2024 James E. Fleming & Linda C. McClain Constitution Day Lecture, University of Pennsylvania Christopher H. Browne Distinguished Emeritus Professor of Political Science Rogers M. Smith will untangle the two sides’ differences and, in doing so, suggest a common ground that Americans may yet be able to find. Free and open to all, Prof. Smith’s talk will be held on September 13 at 3:30pm in Stotler Lounge at Memorial Union.