October 19, 2026

Conversation of Understanding looks at confronting racial terror and pursuing safety

A virtual Conversation of Understanding on Wednesday, Oct. 21, will “examine the history of lynching and racial terror in America and its enduring implications for safety, belonging and community today.”

Faculty, staff and students are invited to the virtual session, “Strange Fruit, Strange Times: Confronting Lynching, Racial Terror, and the Pursuit of Safety.” The session is from noon to 1 p.m. on the SIU System’s YouTube channel.

Requested by members of the SIU System community, this conversation brings together distinguished voices from SIU Edwardsville and SIU Carbondale to “examine difficult histories, consider their contemporary relevance, and reflect on our shared responsibility to foster environments where all individuals can experience dignity, safety, and belonging.”

Panelists will include:

  • Father Joseph Brown, professor and coordinator of the Africana Studies program and director of the School of Africana and Multicultural Studies, SIU Carbondale.
  • Renatto Carr, historian and U.S. history and Africana Studies scholar, SIU Edwardsville.
  • Sheila Caldwell, SIU System vice president for antiracism, diversity, equity and inclusion, and chief diversity officer, will moderate the discussion.

Among the questions explored will be:

  • What can the history of lynching and racial terror teach us about the relationship between race, violence, power, and safety in America?
  • How do these histories continue to shape contemporary experiences and perceptions of safety and belonging?
  • What role can higher education play in confronting difficult histories, encouraging dialogue, and advancing understanding?
  • How can faculty, staff, and students contribute to building university communities grounded in dignity, respect, and shared responsibility?

A Q&A session will allow the online audience to participate by using the YouTube comment section.

The presentation will be recorded and posted on the SIU System YouTube channel, providing those unable to view on Wednesday an opportunity to view the discussion at later time. 

The SIU System President’s Office and the SIU System Diversity Advisory Council sponsor the Conversation of Understanding series, which began in June 2020.