Calling In the Call Out Culture

How can someone be held accountable for an insensitive or racist remark in a way that does not alienate?

Does “calling-out,” or public shaming, advance social justice ideas and lay the groundwork for important discussions, or does it simply stir the cauldron of toxic conversation?

The University of Louisville’s Anne Braden Institute for Social Justice Research in the College of Arts and Sciences conducted a free, public, virtual lecture Nov. 11, 2020 that explored alternatives to the call-out ethos.

The Anne Braden Memorial Lecture, “Calling In the Call Out Culture,” featured feminist and anti-racist scholar-activist Loretta Ross. Ross is widely known for her activism in support of reproductive justice and has co-written three books on the topic. She has 45 years of experience in intersectional social movement-building, ranging from the National Anti-Klan Network to co-founding Sistersong Women of Color Reproductive Justice Collective.  Ross is currently a visiting professor at Smith College in the Program for the Study of Gender.

Her current book, Calling in the Calling Out Culture, is forthcoming in 2021.

Lecture

Panel