Columnist to discuss immigration and the economy

February 27, 2009

Syndicated columnist, women’s activist and economist Julianne Malveaux will present “Unfinished Business: Immigration’s Economic Impact on America” for the A. Wade Smith Memorial Lecture on Race Relations. The lecture will be held at 7 p.m. March 30 in the Memorial Union, Ventana Ballroom, on ASU’s Tempe campus. Malveaux is the president of Bennett College for Women in Greensboro, North Carolina, and an often-tapped public commentator. Her contributions to public dialogue on issues of race, culture, gender and their economic impacts have helped shape public opinion in America. She does so regularly by appearing on national network programs including “The O’Reilly Factor,” “Politically Incorrect,” “To the Contrary” and “Evening Exchange.” Previously, she hosted talk radio programs in Washington, D.C., San Francisco and New York. As a writer and syndicated columnist, her work appears regularly in USA Today, Black Issues in Higher Education, Ms., Essence and The Progressive. Her weekly columns appear in the Los Angeles Times, Charlotte Observer, New Orleans Tribune, Detroit Free Press and San Francisco Examiner. She is co-author of “Unfinished Business: A Democrat and a Republican Take on the 10 Most Important Issues Women Face.” She also has two column anthologies: “Sex, Lies, and Stereotypes: Perspectives of a Mad Economist” and “Wall Street, Main Street, and the Side Street: A Mad Economist Takes a Stroll.” Not only an accomplished author, Malveaux has edited papers, studies and publications. She edited “Voices of Vision: African American Women on the Issues,” and co-edited “The Paradox of Loyalty: An African American Response to the War on Terrorism” and “Slipping through the Cracks: The Status of Black Women.” Active in her community, Malveaux serves on the boards of the Economic Policy Institute, Recreation Wish List Committee and Librarian Education Trust. She earned a doctorate in economics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and received master’s and bachelor’s degrees in economics from Boston College. She is president and chief executive officer of Last Word Productions, a multimedia production company. The annual A. Wade Smith Memorial Lecture on Race Relations honors the memory and life work of its namesake. Smith, a former ASU professor and chair of sociology, worked tirelessly to improve race relations on campus and in the Valley. He also chaired the ASU Campus Environment Team. A year after his death in 1994, Smith’s friends and family, with support from ASU and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, established the lecture series to improve race relations on campus and within the greater community. Well-respected leaders and scholars, including Cornel West, Mary Frances Berry, Ray Suarez and Leonard Pitts Jr., are among the talented speakers who have presented this lecture in the past. The A. Wade Smith Community Award for Advancement of Race Relations will also be presented at the lecture to an Arizona resident whose efforts contributed to the improvement of race relations in the community. The award recipient is chosen based on demonstrated leadership and courage in the advancement of race relations in Arizona. Past recipients include Doris Marshall, Raner Collins, Betty Fairfax, Jean Fairfax and Elsie Moore. The lecture is free and open to the public, though reservations are required and available online at <a href="http://clas.asu.edu/smithlecture">clas.asu.edu/smithlecture</a>. Additional information is available at 480-965-1441 or <a href="mailto:%20clasevents@asu.edu">clasevents@asu.edu</a>.

The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences