Eastern Michigan University is hosting a panel discussion about President Barack Obama’s re-election and subsequent plans for a second term.
The three-hour panel discussion starts at 1 p.m. Thursday in room 310AB of the Student Center. It is free of charge and open to everyone.
The six-person panel will consist of EMU professors Joe Engwenyu (history), Barbara Patrick (political science), Gregg Barak (criminology), Robert Perry (African-American studies) and Eric Brown, with Mississippi State University’s Ravi Perry as a keynote speaker. Professor Victor Okafor, head of EMU’s African-American Studies Department, will act as the panel’s moderator.
“This panel discourse is designed to elevate this discussion through a hard-nosed, scholarly but exciting conversation that the broad campus community can relate to,” Okafor said.
The panel will discuss the economic, political and various other factors that contributed to Obama’s victory, as well as the political obstacles his administration will face and what the domestic and foreign policy goals for his second term will be.
“A key question for the panel will be about the panelists’ views on what ought to be the foreign policy priorities of Obama’s second term,” Okafor said.
Audience members will also have a chance to ask the panelists questions.
The event’s full title is President Barack Obama’s Re-election: Demography, Race Relations and Emerging Political Issues. EMU students attending the event can earn Learning Beyond the Classroom credit.
Additional information about the event can be found at www.emich.edu/aas/about/news.php.