CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - Past accomplishments, present projects and future prospects will be the focus of a series of panel discussions planned April 7 and 8 to mark the 30th anniversary of the Afro-American Studies and Research Program at the University of Illinois.
The following presentations, free and open to the public, are scheduled to take place in 132 Law Building, 504 E. Pennsylvania Ave., Champaign:
• 3:30 p.m., April 7, "Retrospective of 30 Years by the Directors of the AASRP." Speakers will include current director Dianne Pinderhughes and former directors Alice Deck and Marvin Lewis. Also contributing to the panel will be Joseph Smith, an emeritus professor of English and former associate chancellor and director of the Office of Affirmative Action.
• 9 a.m., April 8, "Program's Outreach Projects: Afro-American History in Champaign County; Champaign High School Teachers." Speakers will be Doris Hoskins and Carrie Banks of the C-U African American History Committee, and Judy Nolen and Marsha Terry, teachers at Champaign Centennial High School.
• 10:30 a.m., April 8, "Research Projects in the Afro-American Studies Program at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign." Scholars who will discuss their work with the program include Pinderhughes, a professor of politcal science, and graduate student Rosalind Fielder; Norm Whitten and Alrene Torres, anthropology; and Deck, English and women's studies.
• 1:30 p.m., April 8, "A Discussion of Research on Hate Crimes." The panel will include Kellina Craig, professor of psychology at Howard University, and New York Times reporter Jo Thomas.
• 3:30 p.m., April 8, "The Future of Ethnic Studies at the UIUC." Panelists will include Pinderhughes; George Yu, director of the UI's East Asian and Pacific Studies Center; and a representative from the UI's Latina/Latino Studies Program.
Boxed lunches and beverages are available for $5 on Saturday but require advance reservations. To reserve a lunch, or for more information, contact the AASRP office at 333-7781 or infor@aasrp.uiuc.edu.