Ibram X. Kendi sheds light on authoritarian ideas in Vancouver Writers Fest talk, April 13

In conversation with UBC poli-sci prof Terri Givens, the historian and antiracist scholar discusses his new book, Chain of Ideas: The Origins of Our Authoritarian Age

Vancouver Writers Fest presents Ibram X. Kendi in conversation with Terri Givens at the Chan Centre for the Performing Arts on April 13 at 7:30 pm

IT’S NOT JUST about Donald Trump. As tempting as it is to lay the blame for the concerning swing towards authoritarianism we’re seeing in a number of places around the globe, the ideas at play actually predate the current POTUS’s ascendance to power.

As he argues in his latest nonfiction book, Chain of Ideas: The Origins of Our Authoritarian Age, Ibram X. Kendi places much of the blame on the rise of the “great replacement theory”, which posits that Black and Brown immigrants are “invading” places like Europe and the United States, upsetting the status quo of white domination and destroying great societies in the process.

Kendi traces the ways in which the great replacement theory has been seized upon by populist politicians around the world to chip away at democratic norms.

At an event hosted by Vancouver Writers Fest, Kendi—founder of the Antiracist Research & Policy Center at American University in Washington, D.C. and author of the National Book Award-winning Stamped From the Beginning—will discuss Chain of Ideas with UBC political-science professor Terri Givens.

The author of the bestseller Radical Empathy: Finding a Path to Bridging Racial Divides, Givens is an in-demand consultant and speaker on issues related to leadership and inclusion—and a powerhouse of ideas in her own right.

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John Lucas

John Lucas has covered music and the arts for longer than he cares to think about. He can also be found playing his guitar in dodgy rehearsal spaces and low-rent venues in and around Vancouver.

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