2022–23 Belonging

The Oregon Humanities Center (OHC) presents the 2022-23 endowed lecture series centered on the theme of Belonging.  

A universal human need is to belong—to have cohesive bonds and connections with people and places. Addressing the topic of belonging necessarily requires expanding our understanding of what is belonging, exclusion and barriers to belonging, created and contested spaces of belonging, and how ideas of belonging reinforce historical patterns. Our historical social framework is built on a scaffold that pre-determines who belongs, and who has value and power. These systems continue to produce unjust and inequitable outcomes for people and the planet. 

This speaker series looks to explore the theme of Belonging through the topics of climate destabilization, disability justice, Indigenous sovereignty, immigration, and racial justice. Our speakers will apply their diverse perspectives, experiences, research, knowledge, and ideas to foster conversations about what it means to belong, who decides who belongs, and how to create more inclusive systems for everyone.  

Chartlotte Coté (Tseshaht First Nation), American Indian Studies, University of Washington.  “c̓uumaʕas. The River that Runs through Us.” 

Keith Knight, cartoon artist. “The Intersection of Art and Social Justice.”

Natalia Molina, AmericanStudies and Ethnicity, University of Southern California. “A Place in the Narrative: Telling Underdocumented Stories.”