More than 100 students and faculty gathered to hear North Park professors discuss this year鈥檚 campus theme, 鈥淲hat is Good?鈥� in light of the violence in Charlottesville, Va., and the NFL鈥檚 national anthem protests.
Professors Nancy Arnesen (English), Gwendolyn Purifoye (Sociology), Ilsup Ahn (Philosophy), and former NPU dean and history professor Kurt Peterson analyzed the panel鈥檚 theme: 鈥淔rom Charlottesville to DACA: How Do the Humanities Point Us to the Good in our Public Discourse.鈥�
The panel discussed the recent rise of the 鈥渁lt-right,鈥� a white nationalist movement. Dr. Ahn questioned the notion of a neutral concept of 鈥済ood鈥� when we live in a country where huge income gaps, gun violence, and forced migration of the poor are the norm.
Dr. Purifoye stated: 鈥淗ow can we be a Christian nation when we鈥檙e cool with some of these things?鈥� She noted that the United States still struggles with racism even after electing President Barack Obama, a man of color.
鈥淲e try to tell ourselves America is post-racial,鈥� Dr. Purifoye said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 part of the story we tell ourselves.鈥�
In examining the symbols, imagery, and logos used by the KKK and the 鈥渁lt-right鈥� movement, Dr. Arnesen found that the groups borrowed heavily from Medieval ages. She noted how symbols such as the swastika, which once symbolized peace before being co-opted by the Nazis, could be corrupted through misuse.
鈥淐ontext is everything,鈥� Dr. Arnesen said. 鈥淲hat does it mean to have your hand on your heart during the national anthem this week as opposed to several weeks ago?鈥� she asked, referring to the recent NFL 鈥渢ake a knee鈥� controversy.
Ultimately, Dr. Peterson, director of development for the College of Arts and Sciences at Loyola University Chicago, challenged students to make a difference: 鈥淲ho will you be in a world where racial violence is normative?鈥� he asked. 鈥淏e a source of healing, not violence.鈥�