Carrying the legacy of Prof. Curtis Stokes forward

April 2, 2025 - Rashida Harrison

In 1999, Professor Emeritus Curtis Stokes envisioned a space at Michigan State University where scholars, activists and community leaders could gather to confront and examine the ongoing realities of race, power and justice across the Americas. That vision became the Race in the 21st Century Americas Conference — an interdisciplinary, intergenerational, and deeply community-rooted convening that has grown to reflect the complexity and urgency of our times.

We lost Professor Stokes in the fall of 2024, and with him, a steadfast champion of rigorous inquiry and coalition-building. While we have not held a full-scale conference this year, our work is far from paused. On the contrary, we are continuing his legacy by deepening our engagement with today’s most pressing questions around racial justice and democratic possibility.

This spring, we are hosting a special two-part program that reflects the core commitments of the Race Conference—intersectionality, strategy and transformation. On April 16, we welcome nationally recognized healing justice consultant and abolitionist organizer Tashmica Torok to lead Malicious Compliance: Strategies of Resistance and Imagination, a 2.5-hour in-person workshop exploring how seemingly compliant behaviors can be transformed into powerful tools of resistance. Space is limited to 50 participants to allow for immersive, community-rooted engagement. The workshop is open to all MSU students and staff, as well as members of the broader East Lansing and Lansing communities. For questions about accessibility or to request accommodations, please contact harri516@msu.edu.

To extend this conversation beyond campus walls, we are also hosting a public webinar on Friday, April 18, from 11 a.m. to noon. This virtual session will expand on the themes of the workshop and is also open to all MSU students, staff, and members of the wider East Lansing and Lansing communities. For questions about accessibility or to request accommodations, please contact harri516@msu.edu.

At a time when we are witnessing the resurgence of white supremacist ideologies and a troubling erosion of democratic principles, the need for spaces like this has never been more urgent. Race in the 21st Century Americas is not simply a conference—it is an ongoing project of reflection, resistance, and radical possibility. We continue to hold space for those conversations that cannot wait, and we remain committed to building coalitions across communities affected by systemic injustice.

As we move forward, we do so with the memory of Curtis Stokes in our hearts and the power of collective action at our backs. We invite all those committed to justice, equity, and liberation to join us—not just for these events, but for the continued movement toward a future where democracy is not merely an ideal of the past, but a promise we actively renew.

Malicious Compliance: Strategies of Resistance and Imagination Events

• In-Person Workshop: April 16, 2 to 4:30 p.m. (attendance during the entire 2.5-hour session is required). Register to attend via Eventbrite.
• Virtual Webinar: April 18, 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. Register to attend via Zoom.