Good evening, and welcome to Word Power: How Words Define and Confine Our Reality.
We just had the pleasure of experiencing James Brown, MD, on his Arborlune.
My name is James Schirmer and I'm currently chair of the English department at the University of Michigan-Flint.
It is my honor and privilege to not only welcome you to this event but to also recognize my incredible colleague Dr. Erica Britt as tonight's moderator.
Before turning everything over to her, I have a couple things to share.
First, this is a public event streaming through both Zoom and Facebook Live.
Those interested in Q&A participation should be viewing Word Power through Zoom, but we'll keep an eye out for any comments or questions on Facebook.
Second, you should feel free to click on the "Live Transcript" button in Zoom to follow along a bit easier.
Third, words matter. With apologies to the late, great Prince, words, like albums and black lives, still matter.
The words we choose to use, the reading and writing and speaking of them, the tapping and typing, the scribbling and swiping, constrain and frame, praise and blame, construct and destruct who we and others are.
Of course, that understanding is why we are here.
So, again, I am honored and privileged to be here, to listen in on what lies ahead and behind and now.
And I am glad you are here, that we are here, amid pandemic and police brutality, despite uncertainty and strife.
We just had the pleasure of experiencing James Brown, MD, on his Arborlune.
My name is James Schirmer and I'm currently chair of the English department at the University of Michigan-Flint.
It is my honor and privilege to not only welcome you to this event but to also recognize my incredible colleague Dr. Erica Britt as tonight's moderator.
Before turning everything over to her, I have a couple things to share.
First, this is a public event streaming through both Zoom and Facebook Live.
Those interested in Q&A participation should be viewing Word Power through Zoom, but we'll keep an eye out for any comments or questions on Facebook.
Second, you should feel free to click on the "Live Transcript" button in Zoom to follow along a bit easier.
Third, words matter. With apologies to the late, great Prince, words, like albums and black lives, still matter.
The words we choose to use, the reading and writing and speaking of them, the tapping and typing, the scribbling and swiping, constrain and frame, praise and blame, construct and destruct who we and others are.
Of course, that understanding is why we are here.
So, again, I am honored and privileged to be here, to listen in on what lies ahead and behind and now.
And I am glad you are here, that we are here, amid pandemic and police brutality, despite uncertainty and strife.
We are here and we are ready to hear. Dr. Britt, let's begin...