Tim Wise to visit PSU

Portland State will host a lecture by Tim Wise, a prominent anti-racism writer and educator, on Wednesday at 6 p.m. in the Stott Center gymnasium.

Wise is the author of six books dealing with race relations. He has lectured in all 50 states at more than 800 college campuses and community groups around the country. He was named one of “25 visionaries who are changing your world” by Utne Reader.

Wise got his start through activism and debate. He graduated from Tulane University in New Orleans with a bachelor’s degree in political science and a minor in Latin American studies in 1990. While attending the university he gained national attention for his anti-apartheid activism. The movement sought to convince Tulane University to discontinue relationships with companies doing business with the South African government.

In addition to his focus on writing and lectures, Wise delivers anti-racism training to professionals in the workplace. His teaching seeks to acknowledge and address racism within the institutions of the professional world. He has given trainings to teachers, the medical industry, and corporate, government, entertainment, military and law enforcement groups all across the nation.

Wise has also made his presence known through the media. He has appeared in hundreds of television and radio programs. He contributes regularly to CNN race relations discussions. And he has been featured in a number of documentaries, including the PBS special Who is Black in America? and Vocabulary of Change, for which Wise and scholar Angela Davis engage in a public dialogue about race.

Wise has been described by philosopher Cornel West as “a vanilla brother in the tradition of [antiracism and antislavery fighter] John Brown.”

The event will be hosted by the Associated Students of Portland State University, Diversity and Multicultural Student Services Cultural Centers, School of Business Administration Diversity Programs, the Food Action Collective, the Cesar Chavez Committee and the Office of Global Diversity and Inclusion.

Tickets for the event can be found at the PSU Box Office inside the Broadway entrance of Smith Memorial Student Union or online on the PSU Box Office’s website. The event is free for all PSU students. General admission is $5.