There is no more powerful topic for conversation in today’s America than race and racism. It dominates virtually every aspect of life as we all navigate through the demographic changes that have and will continue to transform Southern Nevada and the entire nation.
And in the coming weeks, KNPR’s State of Nevada will do what we do best: convene a series of community conversations to better understand how questions of race and racism affect each and every one of us.
We will approach those conversations with the classic NPR-style: They will be thoughtful, thorough and respectful. We will introduce you to a diverse mix of community members - some of whom you may know and others who you’ve yet to meet.
Our goal is to share their stories, your stories, our stories, and we hope you will join us for each and every conversation because we’re all richer when we strive to understand one another.
Of course, we invite you to participate in all of the programs by listening, emailing, calling us by phone and letting your friends and neighbors know that we’re having this conversation throughout the coming weeks.
As always, our phone number to call during the live edition of KNPR’s State of Nevada is 702-258-9895 or you can email us at son@knpr.org.
SCHEDULE:
August 6: African-American History in Southern Nevada hosted by Las Vegan Lark McCarthy, who previously worked as one of the most-respected news anchors in Washington, D.C. We will look at the history of segregation along the Las Vegas Strip, the story of The Historically Black Westside and recent Black Lives Matter protests, and we will discuss what they say about us and where we live.
August 21: Asian-Americans and foreign-born Asians have significantly transformed the Las Vegas economy and this region’s culture during the past 20 years, building strong ties with South China and The Philippines, placing us on the map for foreign travelers and investors, as well as health-care and tech-workers seeking to live in the United States. Where does Las Vegas fit it in along The Pacific Rim, and how could that define our future? We will tackle those questions and many more.
September 3: LatinX people have transformed every aspect of life here from food to music to politics, in many ways returning the cultural feel of this region to its earlier roots when Mexico controlled the American Southwest. We will discuss the classic challenges faced by all immigrants and first-generation Americans in this country: how to hold onto your past while embracing your present and future.
September 17: Native American people continue to populate this region, with Las Vegas Paiutes operating a golf resort and two tribal smoke shops, but their story here, which often goes untold, stretches back millennia. The Moapa Band of Paiute Indians live in seclusion, near Moapa. We will discuss the economic and cultural challenges faced by the native people.
October 1: NPR Host Sam Sanders joins us to wrap-up our series as we touch upon the many issues raised throughout these conversations. As always, our listeners are the most vital part of these conversations, and we encourage you to participate in each and every one of them.
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