American Denial
April 2015
We will discuss the documentary film American Denial, which tells the story of researcher and Nobel Laureate Gunnar Myrdal whose study, An American Dilemma, provided a provocative inquiry into the dissonance between stated beliefs as a society and what is perpetuated and allowed in the name of those beliefs. His inquiry into the United States' racial psyche during Jim Crow becomes a lens for modern inquiry into how denial, cognitive dissonance, and unrecognized, unconscious attitudes continue to dominate racial dynamics in American life. The film’s unusual narrative sheds a unique light on the unconscious political and moral world of modern Americans.
The discussion will prepare us to go deeper with Ian Haney López when he comes to speak at the History Colorado Center on the evening of April 28 at 6PM. His topic will be “Race Whisperer: Decoding the Silent Language of Politics in America.” Please see the separate flyer attached as a PDF.
IHL+flyer+-+updated+3-26+EPS+HC+Logo
Also see the attached PDF below for an announcment of the upcoming Building Bridges Circles of Change Luncheon on April 17th, where Harold Fields will receive an award.