• June 21
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• Kennewick

Sasquatch: Man-Ape or Myth?

Throughout the Northwest, people have been reporting encounters with the Sasquatch—a hairy, eight- to ten-foot-tall hominid—for hundreds of years. Yet aside from a collection of large footprint casts and a sizable assemblage of eyewitness accounts, some attributable to the earliest humans in the Northwest, no scientifically accepted evidence has been offered to establish this being’s […]

• June 20
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• Seattle

American Muslims: History, Culture, and Politics

Too often, Muslims are still discussed as “the other” in American society—a group confined to discussions about marginalization or radicalization. But these discussions have largely ignored that the American Muslim experience is an American experience. Led by University of Washington Tacoma professor Turan Kayaoglu, this talk explores how American Muslim identities have shaped and been […]

• June 20
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• Omak

A Fierce Language: Falling in Love with Poetry

As children we are enchanted by the story, humor, absurdity, and rhyming cadence of nursery rhymes. But as we get older, too often our appreciation for poems dissolves as we struggle to deconstruct their meaning line by line. As a result, many come to believe that poetry is inaccessible and too much like hard work. […]

• June 19
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• Cheney

Writing in the Margins: Transforming the Stories We Tell about Race

Humans have evolved and maintained our integrity as a species because of our ability to collectively create and tell stories. But what happens when those stories divide, segregate, and even encourage violence among us? Understand the narratives of contemporary literature, film, and popular culture that separate the human species along manufactured racial lines. In this […]

• June 15
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• Seattle

Hollywood and the Homefront: Tinsel Town’s Contribution to WWII

During World War II, the War Department realized the importance of not only keeping up the morale of America’s fighting forces abroad, but the morale of those at home. The result was an unprecedented push by Hollywood to contribute morale-building war dramas, troop entertainment, and training films to the war effort. Special radio programs, documentary […]

• June 13
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• Leavenworth

Sasquatch: Man-Ape or Myth?

Throughout the Northwest, people have been reporting encounters with the Sasquatch—a hairy, eight- to ten-foot-tall hominid—for hundreds of years. Yet aside from a collection of large footprint casts and a sizable assemblage of eyewitness accounts, some attributable to the earliest humans in the Northwest, no scientifically accepted evidence has been offered to establish this being’s […]

• June 13
• |
• Kennewick

Hollywood and the Homefront: Tinsel Town’s Contribution to WWII

During World War II, the War Department realized the importance of not only keeping up the morale of America’s fighting forces abroad, but the morale of those at home. The result was an unprecedented push by Hollywood to contribute morale-building war dramas, troop entertainment, and training films to the war effort. Special radio programs, documentary […]

• June 13
• |
• Seattle

A Road Runs Through It: Tourism, Culture, and the Politics of Conservation

Tourism is often seen as a passive activity—something that simply adds value to already existing areas. But tourism is an industry that depends on specific notions of what “nature” and “wildlife” mean, what their value is, and how best to protect them. How does tourism shape the very meaning and value of a landscape? Who […]

• June 12
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• Clarkston

The Hidden History of America’s Favorite Music

Songs like “Camptown Races” and “Turkey in the Straw” are the basis of America’s soundtrack, but there is a troubling side to some of our country’s most recognizable songs. A significant part of our country’s shared musical heritage emerged from 19th century blackface minstrelsy. Minstrelsy was the first uniquely American entertainment, and the first American […]

• June 9
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• Mukilteo

White Privilege: The Other Side of Racial Inequality

Conversations about racial inequality usually focus on the disadvantages faced by people of color in American society. But there is another side to this inequality: privilege—the advantages that white people experience because of their race. Sociology professor Teresa Ciabattari leads an interactive conversation that explores what white privilege is, discusses a variety of examples of […]