Printers Row Lit Fest Preview: Black Youth And The Future Of American Politics

By Betsy Mikel in Arts & Entertainment on Jun 2, 2011 6:40PM

The buzz for the next presidential election is just warming up, so this sounds like an especially interesting hour of discussion. This is another event at this weekend's Printers Row Literary Festival that we're recommending. There are two full days of events — workshops, panels, authors Q&A and presentations as well as booths from local booksellers and literary organizations. Head over to the Chicago Tribune to read more about all that's happening.

Here’s a panel jam-packed with really smart people for you: Cathy J. Cohen, who wrote Democracy Remixed : Black Youth and the Future of American Politics, will speaking with Natalie Moore and Lance Williams, co-authors of The Almighty Black P Stone Nation: The Rise, Fall, and Resurgence of an American Gang on a panel moderated by Tracye Matthews, associate director of the Center for the Study of Race, Politics and Culture at the University of Chicago.

The panel will talk about some of the issues raised in Cohen’s book about the political lives of young black Americans. She wrote it based on the results of the Black Youth Project, a national survey that examined the attitudes, resources, and culture of African American youth ages 15 to 25 in regards to health, sex and politics. As a researcher and professor who's long been involved in politics, she was one of the principal researchers in the study. According to a press release, this panel will focus on some of the following questions:

• What does it mean to be a young black American today?
• How will the views, opinions and lives of black youth shape the future of American politics?
• What must be done to fulfill the promise of full democratic citizenship for black youth?
• How will black youth impact the 2012 presidential election?

A Panel Discussion on Issues Raised in New Book Democracy Remixed: Black Youth and the Future of American Politics, this Sunday, June 5, Printers Row Lit Fest, University Center/Loop Room, 2 p.m., free admission