Rice on the Road Returns for 2014 with New Excursions

The Center for the Catholic Intellectual Tradition (CCIT) will once again explore issues of social justice in neighboring communities through the Monsignor Owen Rice Lecture Series’ Rice on the Road 2014: Community-Engaged Interdisciplinary Work for Justice.

The innovative, five-part lecture series will explore social justice issues through excursions featuring mobile panels and on-site conversations. Community partners, residents and local leaders will join with University faculty, staff and students to discuss these important issues and the special role of community-engaged scholarship in encouraging awareness, education and responsible action for justice.

“The Rice lecture series blends many of the things that make Duquesne a unique presence in American Catholic higher education,” said Dr. Darlene Weaver, director of the CCIT. “It combines academic rigor, community engagement, insights from Catholic intellectual traditions and our Spiritan charism. The result is a stimulating and fresh educational opportunity that promotes better academic consideration of particular social justice issues by way of authentic relationships with marginalized communities.”

The series will kick off on Friday, March 21, with Human Trafficking in Pittsburgh, a look at the realities of the exploitation of the men, women and children in our region. The tour, from noon to 2 p.m., will include a trip to Shuman Juvenile Detention Center and conclude with a conversation at Bethlehem Haven. Community advocates, law enforcement officers and health care professionals will provide their expertise.

Future topics in the series are:

• Looking in the Mirror of Racial Consciousness: The Culture of White Racism and Black Self-Determination on Thursday, March 27
• Fracking: Understanding its Local Impact on Friday, April 4
• Exploring Community Trauma on Monday, April 7.

Rice on the Road will conclude on Tuesday, April 15, with a closing dialogue from noon to 2 p.m. in the Power Center. Instead of fielding questions from the audience, select panelists from the four excursions will pose thought-provoking questions to attendees in an effort to foster fresh perspectives on justice education, collaboration and University-community relations.

All events are free and open to the public. Each excursion will include transportation, lunch, a neighborhood tour and a panel discussion. For more information or to register, visit the CCIT website.