Educator-Activist
UChicago College, Civic Knowledge Project & More
The Civic Knowledge Project (CKP) at the University of Chicago was founded in 2003 by Danielle Allen, then a Prof. in the Political Science and Classics Depts. Allen, currently James Bryant Conant University Professor and Director of the Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Ethics at Harvard University, envisioned the CKP as a vehicle for building civic friendship and democratic practice in Chicago, especially across Chicago's mid-South Side with UChicago and its neighboring communities. This effort, which demanded a candid critical perspective on the historical failings of UChicago to advance social justice, was expanded and enhanced under the Directorship of Bart Schultz-- from 2006-2023, when, at Schultz's initiative, the CKP's resources and programs were restructured and migrated to the new UChicago Dept. of Race, Diaspora, and Indigeneity.
Visit UChicago's Department of Race, Diaspora, and Indigeneity
Teaching: Private & Public
Taught and advised in the College of the University of Chicago for thirty-six years, from 1987 until voluntary retirement in 2023. Regularly served as a BA advisor/reference for students across a range of disciplines, including Philosophy, Political Science, Economics, and Public Policy. My courses, both core and advanced, have always had a special emphasis on diversity, equity, and inclusion, and include, in addition to humanities and social science core courses, "Utilitarianism, Idealism, Pragmatism," "Philosophy of Social Science," "Problems in Gender Studies," "The Philosophy of John Dewey," "Introduction to Political Philosophy," "Happiness," “What is Civic Knowledge?” “Philosophies of Environmentalism and Sustainability,” “The Chicago School of Philosophy,” “The Philosophy of Poverty,” “Teaching Precollegiate Philosophy,” “Consequentialism from Bentham to Singer,” “Philosophy: Practice, Form, and Genre,” “Philosophy and Public Education,” “Philosophy and Philanthropy,” “The Philosophy of Education,” “Ecocentrism and Environmental Racism,” “The Philosophy of Civic Engagement,” and “Practical Anarchism.” Syllabi and evaluations are available on request, or at Bart Schultz: Syllabi and Course Evaluations
Taught and advised in the College of the University of Chicago for thirty-six years, from 1987 until voluntary retirement in 2023. Regularly served as a BA advisor/reference for students across a range of disciplines, including Philosophy, Political Science, Economics, and Public Policy. My courses, both core and advanced, have always had a special emphasis on diversity, equity, and inclusion, and include, in addition to humanities and social science core courses, "Utilitarianism, Idealism, Pragmatism," "Philosophy of Social Science," "Problems in Gender Studies," "The Philosophy of John Dewey," "Introduction to Political Philosophy," "Happiness," “What is Civic Knowledge?” “Philosophies of Environmentalism and Sustainability,” “The Chicago School of Philosophy,” “The Philosophy of Poverty,” “Teaching Precollegiate Philosophy,” “Consequentialism from Bentham to Singer,” “Philosophy: Practice, Form, and Genre,” “Philosophy and Public Education,” “Philosophy and Philanthropy,” “The Philosophy of Education,” “Ecocentrism and Environmental Racism,” “The Philosophy of Civic Engagement,” and “Practical Anarchism.” Syllabi and evaluations are available on request, or at Bart Schultz: Syllabi and Course Evaluations
Co-organized and co-funded, with the UChicago Black Metropolis Research Consortium and the Timuel D. Black Educational Foundation, a city-wide high school essay competition to amplify the legacy of Timuel D. Black. See the Timuel D. Black Essay Contest. In conjunction with this project, the CKP created a resource for educators out of the experience and materials of its award-winning precollege Civics, History, and Philosophy program Winning Words-- “Chicago as Sacred Ground: A Winning Words Sourcebook.” Winning Words was conceived and launched in 2006, and in 2012 it won the APA/PDC Prize for Excellence and Innovation in Philosophy Programs.
Supported the CKP’s collaboration on a mentorship program run with the UChicago Black Grad Coalition and Bronzeville’s Black Star Project. UChicago Office of Civic Engagement, February 23, 2022.
Co-organized and co-hosted, with the Timuel D. Black Educational Foundation, Rockefeller Chapel, and the UChicago Office of Civic Engagement, the Memorial Service for Prof. Timuel D. Black, “Timuel D. Black: A Life of Jazz and Justice,” held on December 5, 2021. This three-hour event featured tributes to Prof. Black from the Governor of the State of Illinois, the Mayor of the City of Chicago, the Chancellor of UChicago, and many other dignitaries and friends, interspersed with a rich array of brilliant musical performances reflecting the “Sacred Ground” of Chicago’s historic South Side. See digital booklet.
Co-organized and co-hosted, with the Timuel D. Black Educational Foundation and the UChicago Alumni Association, Prof. Timuel D. Black's 102nd Birthday Car Parade and Celebration to announce the Timuel D. Black Community Solidarity Scholarship Endowment (stewarded by the UChicago Civic Knowledge Project). See the press coverage in Chicago Sun-Times ; Roger Ebert ; WGN ; ABC7 ; UChicago Diversity & Inclusion; Block Club Chicago. The CKP’s efforts to establish the scholarship were highlighted by the UChicago Office of Diversity and Inclusion, the UChicago Alumni Club, and the UChicago Office of Civic Engagement. The scholarship fund achieved its $100,000 fundraising goal in February of 2021, officially establishing the endowment for the CKP’s annually awarded Timuel D. Black Community Solidarity Scholarship.
Interviewed for a feature story, “Diverse Learners, Volunteers Gain New Perspectives through Winning Words Partnership,” about the longstanding work the CKP’s Winning Words program has done at City Elementary, a school specializing in education for young people on the autism spectrum. UChicago Office of Civic Engagement, January 26, 2021.
Interviewed for a feature story, “The Examined Life,” on the CKP’s Winning Words Ethics Bowl Initiative. The University of Chicago Magazine (Spring 2020).
Winning Words co-organized and co-hosted, with IIT, the Chicago Regional Ethics Bowl Tournament from its inception in 2016 until 2021.
Featured in the Illinois Landmarks documentary “Timuel D. Black, Jr.: Civil Rights Leader and Educator,” part of the 2020 Legendary Landmarks Celebration sponsored by Illinois Landmarks. This documentary also features students from my Philosophies of Environmentalism and Sustainability course, autumn 2019.
Organized and hosted “The Red Summer of 1919: A Discussion.” This panel featured Sherry Williams (Bronzeville Historical Society), Bill Tuttle (historian and author of the book Race Riot: Chicago in the Red Summer of 1919), Robert Loerzel (journalist and author of "Searching for Eugene Williams”), and Lorenzo Young (educator and master storyteller), with special guest Prof. Timuel D. Black. UChicago Center for Identity and Inclusion, October 5, 2019.
Co-hosted and co-sponsored two major events as part of the Timuel D. Black Centennial weekend: "The Life and Times of Timuel D. Black: A Centenary Symposium" (Logan Center Performance Hall, December 8, 2018), and "Timuel D. Black: One Hundred Years of Music and Memories" (South Shore Cultural Center, December 9, 2018). See also the Program Booklet. Both events featured a long list of distinguished guests and speakers. For details, visit the Chicago Crusader.
Organized and hosted/co-hosted, with Timuel D. Black, program events for the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Initiative, an initiative in partnership with RainbowPUSH, Liberty Baptist Church, and various community and UChicago organizations to commemorate the work of Dr. King on the occasion of the 50th Anniversary of his tragic assassination. This initiative involved a wide range of educational programs and activist opportunities designed to showcase the ongoing importance of Dr. King's philosophy of nonviolence. Events included a “Reading King Day” (November 18, 2017), an expanded “Legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.” tour and seminar, led by Prof. Timuel D. Black (January 13th, 2018), a series of discussions on “What Dr. King Means to Me,” featuring such figures as Rev. Michael Pfleger (St. Sabina) and Rev. Jesse Jackson (RainbowPUSH), a panel discussion on “Dr. King’s Philosophy of Nonviolent Direct Action” (February 24th, at RainbowPUSH), and a regular series of Saturday discussions of Dr. King’s life and legacy at the RainbowPUSH coalition, as well as participation in UChicago’s 28th Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration (January 16th). On April 4th there was a conversation at Rockefeller Chapel on "The Day King Died" featuring Timuel D. Black and Bart Schultz.
Organized and hosted the 2017 Philosophy Learning and Teaching Organization (PLATO) international conference on pre-college philosophy: “Social Justice and Pre-College Philosophy: Where Do We Go from Here?” University of Chicago Gleacher Center, June 23rd and 24th. The conference program and information are available on the PLATO website. This was a major event--featuring an international cast of speakers and maximum registration--designed to enhance the diversity and inclusion of pre-college philosophy programs and promote the work of PLATO and the Winning Words Initiative.
Organized and hosted a new annual lecture series: The Timuel D. Black Distinguished Bridges of Memory Guest Lecture and Jazz Concert The series honors Timuel D. Black, the civil rights activist, author of the oral history Bridges of Memory, and winner of the University of Chicago’s Benton Medal and Diversity Leadership award. The inaugural lecture took place at Bronzeville’s historic Parkway Ballroom on April 11, 2015, and was delivered by the University of Chicago’s Kenneth Warren, Fairfax M. Cone Distinguished Service Professor in the Department of English and author of What Was African American Literature? and So Black and Blue: Ralph Ellison and the Occasion of Criticism. Prof. Black commented on the guest lecture, and period music was provided by the Ari Brown quintet. The event led to the creation of a new CKP listhost, “The Friends of Prof. Timuel D. Black.”
The second Timuel D. Black Distinguished Bridges of Memory Guest Lecture and Jazz Concert was held at the Stony Island Arts Bank on May 2nd, 2016. The special guest speakers were Theaster Gates, Chicago artist, founder of the Rebuild Foundation, and Director of the UChicago Arts and Public Life Program, and Jacqueline Stewart, then interim Director of the UChicago Grey Center for Arts and Inquiry and Prof. in the Dept. of Cinema and Media Studies, who were joined onstage by Prof. Black. Period music was provided by David Boykin and his band.
The third Timuel D. Black Distinguished Bridges of Memory Guest Lecture and Jazz Concert was held at Room 43 on August 4th, 2017. The featured speaker was Rudy Nimocks, former City of Chicago Police Detective, former head of the UChicago Police, and longtime community ambassador in the UChicago Office of Civic Engagement. Period music was provided by David Boykin and his band. In 2018 the series was merged with the events surrounding Prof. Black’s 100th Birthday.
Organized and hosted a new Civic Knowledge Project Initiative on Diversity and the University of Chicago, continuing the work that led to the pathbreaking exhibition curated by CKP founder Danielle Allen, “Integrating the Life of the Mind: A History of African Americans at the University of Chicago.” The inaugural event in this series was "The Life and Legacy of Dr. Julian Herman Lewis," February 21st, 2015, Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts Performance Hall, 915 E. 60th St., Chicago. Dr. Julian H. Lewis, M.D /PhD, author of The Biology of the Negro (1942), was the first African-American to join the faculty at the University of Chicago (1917). This event was sponsored by the Robbins Historical Society and Museum, and co-sponsored by the UChicago Civic Knowledge Project, Office of Campus and Student Life, the Theta Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., and the University of Chicago Association of Black Alumni (UCABA). See The Sun-Times features the Civic Knowledge Project's historic event, The Life and Legacy of Dr. Julian Herman Lewis; Tyrone Haymore, John O. Lewis, and Bart Schultz featured on WBEZ's Morning Shift discussing The Life and Legacy of Dr. Julian Herman Lewis ; The Chicago Maroon features The Life and Legacy of Dr. Julian Herman Lewis; The Atlanta Blackstar features The Life and Legacy of Dr. Julian Herman Lewis,; and the University of Chicago News Office features a story on the homepage on "The Life and Legacy of Dr. Julian Herman Lewis"
Featured speaker at the Northwestern University Center for Civic Engagement conference on "The Scholar in Public: A Symposium on Public Humanities" (May 2014).
Awarded the RainbowPUSH Coalition PUSHExcel Outstanding Educator Award for 2013
Co-organized and facilitated, in collaboration with the Office of the President, the activities and ceremonies for Timuel D. Black’s fulfillment of his duties as the winner of the 2012 University of Chicago Benton Medal for Distinguished Public Service.
Presented at the May 1st, 2012 University of Chicago Logan Center preview event: Arts & Public Life, Civic Knowledge Project, and the Smart Museum of Art present "Amplifying Voices Conversation: On the Politics of Architecture & Space" with Theaster Gates, Charles Esche, and Bart Schultz.
Organized and hosted a South Side series of “Great Conversations,” a collaboration involving the AKArama Foundation and the University of Chicago Civic Knowledge Project and Graham School of Continuing Liberal and Professional Studies, 2011-12. The series featured an extraordinarily distinguished set of speakers: Thomas C. Holt, the James Westfall Thompson Distinguished Service Professor in the Dept. of History at the University of Chicago, Kenneth Warren, the Fairfax M. Cone Distinguished Service Professor in the Dept. of English Language and Literature at the University of Chicago, Dr. Doriane Miller, Director of the University of Chicago Center for Community Health and Vitality, and Danielle Allen, then UPS Foundation Professor in the School of Social Sciences, Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton University. See also: Geography of Knowledge.
Extensive work, from 2002-2015, in continuing education with the Graham School of Continuing Liberal and Professional Studies to strengthen its ties to the UChicago and develop various initiatives to better represent both it and the University to the larger Chicago community. Regularly designed and recruited faculty for a wide range of adult education courses (developing website and catalogue content—see the Graham School’s catalogue, The Compleat Gargoyle), and created new programming subject areas, including “Civic Knowledge Project” and “Environmental Studies.” Organized and hosted the Graham School’s prestigious and long-standing series of “Great Conversations,” featuring leading faculty members from the University and other eminent guests. Also organized and hosted, through the Graham School, many special panel discussions, including on “The Future of Higher Education,” “Renaissance 2010,” and, with the Nature Conservancy of Illinois, “The Nature Conservancy Lecture Series” (autumn 2007).
Working with the Civic Knowledge Project, the Humanities Division, the Graham School, and the Chicago Humanities Festival, co-organized and designed a panel discussion in conjunction with the visit to the University by 2004 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Wangari Maathai (Sept. 2007).
Worked with the Civic Knowledge Project, the Humanities Division, the Illinois Humanities Council, and the Clemente Course in the Humanities, to co-organize and host “The Humanities in Difficult Circumstances” (May 31, 2008).
Organized and hosted two academic conferences under the auspices of the University of Chicago Division of the Humanities, Division of the Social Sciences, and College: “The Philosophy of Alan Donagan” (Sept. 18-19, 1992) and “Henry Sidgwick as Philosopher and Historian” (May 18-20, 1990) .
Organized and hosted two UChicago talks by the high-profile philosopher Peter Singer, a founder of the Animal Liberation and Effective Altruism movements. The first was a lecture/reception on “The Life You Can Save,” held at International House on March 9, 2009. The second was a lecture/reception on “Climate Change: Our Greatest Ethical Challenge,” held at Mandel Hall on October 23, 2015. Both events had capacity crowds and featured students from the CKP’s Winning Words Precollegiate Philosophy program.
Organized and hosted, at UChicago on November 2nd, 2013, a one-day conference that featured leaders in the field of pre-collegiate philosophy from across the U.S. See The Winning Words Initiative.
As the Director of the Civic Knowledge Project since 2006, my role includes the management of the entire range of CKP programs, including extensive intern/volunteer management, web and listhost maintenance, publicity and fund-raising activities.