April 16, 2003
Contact: Steve Hackenberger (509-963-3224/fax 509-963-3215/e-mail: hackenbe@cwu.edu)
ELLENSBURG, Wash. - As the world becomes more globalized, the role of
the individual citizen is in flux. James C. Early, director of
heritage policy at the Smithsonian Institution Center for Folklife and
Cultural Heritage, will discuss those changes during a presentation at
Central Washington University.
Titled “Cultural Democracy: Identity and Citizenship in a
Global Era,” it will take place Tuesday, April 22, at 7:30 p.m. in
Black 152 on the Ellensburg campus.
“As individuals and academics, we’re struggling to place
ourselves in a global context in terms of the relevance of historical
and cultural studies,” Dr. Steve Hackenberger, CWU anthropology
professor, says. “The idea of cultural democracy is that, as the world
becomes more interconnected, equal worth and practical value in
understanding all traditions and belief systems. Each of us needs to
develop a sense of direction as a global citizen and help shape
cultural relationships within and between both our academic and social
communities”
The Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage promotes
understanding and continuity of contemporary grassroots cultures in the
U.S. and abroad through producing the Smithsonian Folklife Festival,
Smithsonian Folkways Recordings, exhibitions, documentary films and
videos, symposia and educational materials. It also conducts research,
maintains archives and provides educational and research opportunities.
Since joining the Smithsonian Institution in 1984, Early has
also served as assistant provost for educational and cultural programs,
assistant secretary for education and public service, and director of
the Smithsonian Institution Folklife Center for Cultural Studies and
Communication.
During his 25-year career, Early has been an advocate for the
cultural values and integrity of African-American, Latino,
Native-American, and Asian-Pacific American communities and a longtime
supporter of cultural diversity and equity issues.
Early has taught high school Spanish, worked with the prison
population, taught at the college level, lectured in the U.S. and
internationally, and written extensively on the politics of culture.
He has completed exchange assignments in Japan and
participated in leadership conferences on U.S.—China exchanges. His
most recent projects have involved collaborations in Cuba, Brazil and
South Africa.
Early began his cultural studies at Morehouse College in
Atlanta, Ga., in 1969, where he received a bachelor’s degree in
Spanish. In 1971, he entered Howard University, Washington, D.C., on a
Ford Foundation Fellowship and pursued a Ph.D. in Latin American and
Caribbean history and related studies of African and Afro-American
History.
His CWU presentation is sponsored by the McNair Scholars
Program in conjunction with the CWU anthropology department and museum;
campus life; center for student empowerment; deans of the college of
arts and humanities and college of the sciences, department of foreign
languages; graduate studies, research and continuing education; office
of international studies and programs; provost/vice president for
academic affairs and vice president for student affairs.
For more information about Early’s free, public
presentation, or for persons of disability to arrange for reasonable
accommodation, call (509) 963-3201, or (for the hearing impaired) TDD
(509) 963-2143.
