Celebrate the 20th Anniversary of Democracy Days!

Published: 09/10/2020

Join St. Charles Community College as we celebrate the 20th Anniversary of Democracy Days, an interdisciplinary forum assessing the history, health and functioning of democracy in America and abroad. For the first time, the event will be held in the virtual space from Sept. 14-17. 

Students, faculty, staff and the community can see the full schedule and join the online presentations and discussions on the day of each event by visiting the Democracy Days website.

Democracy Days 2020 Schedule

Monday, Sept. 14

• 10 a.m. - Disability Rights, Education & Democracy: Tracy Bono and Paige George explore disability rights, education and legislation.
• 11:30 a.m. - No Holding Back: E pluribus unum-out of many, one. But are we really? From Coronavirus to the ghosts of the Confederacy, from Black Lives Matter to the Boogaloo Boys, it appears that we are in fact more divided than united. 
• 1 p.m. - Inside Elections: The St. Charles County Director of Elections Speaks – Free and fair elections are a cornerstone of democracy. Get the inside story from St. Charles County Director of Elections Kurt Bahr. 

Tuesday, Sept 15

• 10 a.m. -The Pandemic and Mental Health: As the world is continuing to endure the pandemic, racial injustice protests, unemployment and social and economic uncertainties, it is becoming clear that democracy and its systems are either failing many Americans or are working only for the privileged few. 
• 11:30 a.m. - It’s All Our History: An interdisciplinary panel led by SCC profs representing Psychology, Sociology, English, and Occupational Therapy examining the importance of knowing and understanding African American history. 
• 1 p.m. - ‘You Can’t and I Won’t’: The Controversy Over Social Distancing During the 1918 Influenza Pandemic.

Wednesday, Sept 16

• 10 a.m. - Poetry and Democracy in the American Tradition: How can poetry teach? And what does American poetry about democracy have to teach us in 2020, a year of acute challenge and change? 
• 11:30 - Civic Engagement in the Wake of 2020: This panel, chaired by Bryonie Carter (SCC English). will detail how instructors and students are pursuing activism, social justice, and service-learning projects in their remote and virtual classrooms.
• 1 p.m. - Racism, Police and the Black Lives Matter Movement – A panel of SCC faculty discusses racism in the US and the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement. 

Thursday, Sept 17

• 10 a.m. - The Stock Market Indexes: Not a Macroeconomic Indicator – This presentation by William Baca-Mejia (SCC Economics) contests the mainstream view in economics that reduces democracy to a simple efficient resource allocation of the market. 
• 11:30 - A Conversation on Police Reform: Sgt. Heather Taylor will then discuss her observations on policing in America and her observations on these reform proposals.
• 1 p.m. - The Myth of Voter Fraud: A panel of faculty from SCC’s Political Science department will discuss allegations of voter fraud, including voter I.D. and concerns with absentee voting during a pandemic.

For more information about the event, please contact Michael Kuelker at 636-922-8256 or mkuelker@stchas.edu.