Annual justice speaker series celebrates 20-year anniversary with Arizona Secretary of State as keynote speaker
Photo from ASU's annual Martin Luther King Jr. March on West in January, a tradition at the West campus that dates back to 1991. Hundreds of middle school students participate in interactive educational presentations about the civil rights movement before preparing posters and recreating the historical 1963 March on Washington, D.C. ASU photo
Seeking Justice in Arizona, an annual speaker series hosted by Madelaine Adelman, a professor at Arizona State University's School of Social Transformation (SST), is celebrating its 20-year anniversary. This year, the series' events will take place as part of a course taught by Gregory Broberg, an associate teaching professor with SST.
“I am excited to be hosting the 2024–25 Seeking Justice lectures as part of my Introduction to Justice Studies course,” Broberg said. “Our four guest speakers will be providing our freshman students with a real-world perspective related to justice issues such as voting, wrongful convictions, immigration and the field of law.”
Seeking Justice in Arizona
When: 1:30–2:45 p.m.
- Thursday, Aug. 29
- Thursday, Sept. 19
- Thursday, Oct. 17
- Thursday, Nov. 14
Where: Zoom
Admission: Free and open to the public. Register here.
The series of talks is free and will be available virtually for ASU students as well as the general public.
Seeking Justice in Arizona kicks off Aug. 29 with Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes, who will be speaking on the importance of ensuring voting rights and efforts to combat misinformation. Through his experience in the U.S. Marine Corps, law school and various parts of Arizona government, Fontes has gained insight into the importance of democratic processes and will be sharing how we can maintain them.
On Sept. 19, Patrick Andler will use case studies to demonstrate how outdated procedures lead to wrongful convictions and how this can be solved with government reform. Andler is known as one of the leading fire investigation experts in the country, and has gained insight into the justice system through aiding local and federal governments.
Reyna Montoya will be speaking on Oct. 17 about current issues surrounding immigration in the U.S., particularly the threats facing undocumented immigrant students. Montoya migrated to Arizona in 2003, fleeing violence, and grew up to earn bachelor's degrees in political science and transborder studies and a dance minor from Arizona State University, a Master of Education in secondary education from Grand Canyon University, and an executive education certificate from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. She engages in local, statewide and national platforms to advance justice for immigrant communities.
The final presentation will be on Nov. 14, led by Ray Maldonado, who will be discussing the intersectionality of law, immigration and human rights. Maldonado earned degrees from ASU and Stanford Law School, and has since worked as a lawyer and activist protecting the rights of immigrants.
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