For Immediate Release

Date: October 9, 2006 

BLOOMSBURG— A presentation on racism and white privilege will kick off Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania’s 2006-07 Provost’s Lecture Series. Wanda Blanchett’s lecture, “The Role of Racism and White Privilege in Creating and Maintaining Educational Inequities for People of Color and Individuals with Disabilities" will be held on Thursday, Oct. 12, in the Kehr Union Multipurpose Rooms. She will conduct workshops at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., both open to the public free of charge.

During her presentation, Blanchett will provide a historical analysis of the quest for educational equality and offer suggestions for reforming education to produce a better outcome. She will also present recent research examining the role of racism and white privilege in the unequal representation of students of color in special education.

Blanchett is known for her research regarding issues of inequity including urban teacher preparation; issues of race, class, culture and gender; unequal representation of students of color in special education; and issues of sexuality for students with disabilities. Her work has been published in journals such as Teacher Education and Special Education, Remedial and Special Education and Research and Practice in Severe Disabilities. Blanchett serves as the associate dean for academic affairs and associate professor of exceptionality education at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and received her doctorate from Penn State University. 

The lecture series is being held in conjunction with the fifth annual BU Inclusion Institute, which is being hosted by the Department of Exceptionality Programs. 

Bloomsburg University is one of 14 universities in the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education. The university serves approximately 8,000 students, offering comprehensive programs of study in the colleges of Professional Studies, Business, Liberal Arts and Science and Technology.

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