1 DEC 2020 · In this online Olio, we'll be discussing what it means to be at home. As our guide, we'll use the essay "Chez soi" by Mona Chollet. No need to read the essay beforehand (mostly because it's in French). What is it to have a home? Homebirds, homebodies, home-loving: what are the benefits of a stay-at-home life? Mona Chollet takes us on a journey about how time and space have been transfigured, even disfigured, in today's ultra-productive society, while promoting an intimate Art de Vivre (art of living) within the comfort of our own home, when we are lucky enough to have one. We'll examine, from a philosophical lense, how the circumstances of today, with lockdown restrictions, might be shifting our concept of home. Teacher: Jeanne Proust After studying in Bordeaux, Berlin, and Paris, Jeanne Proust has been teaching Philosophy, Art History and French Literature for the last 10 years in the US. her research has focused on the pathologies of the willpower, both in philosophical and psychological perspectives, but her interests are wide: among many fields, she does research in Ethics, Philosophy of Technologies and Aesthetics.

1 DEC 2020 · In recent years, some conservative and neoliberal academics have touted the idea that human societies are evolving toward a less violent state. Progress, such scholars claim, is an inherent quality of our species, and history moves in one direction. But what if the notion of progress itself is, in fact our most enduring fuel for violence? Let us look closely at the myth of historical progress and ask ourselves just how we came to believe that the past exists in service to the future. Teacher: Jamie Warren Jamie Warren has a Ph.D. in American History from Indiana University, and she is an Assistant Professor at BMCC-CUNY where she teaches American history, the history of women and gender, and women’s studies. Her research focuses on slavery in antebellum South with a particular focus on death, the body, and the philosophy of history.

1 DEC 2020 · Join us in this Olio to discuss a new contract for Black America (without Ice Cube) and to process whatever the aftermath will be. Either way, America will be different. While every vote counts, no other demographic is discussed quite like the “Black Vote.” Without fail, the Black community is at the center of attention every four years, experiencing praise with every victory, and blame with every vote. GOTV efforts pull on sentiments of Civil Rights, historical moments of the past, and the fear-mongering of consequences if “yall don’t vote the right way.” Further complicating matters is the fight for “who is progressive,” with real tensions between centrist and liberal voters pulling once-allied voices ideologically apart. In this Olio, we’ll explore some of the real considerations missed in the conversation around the “Black Vote,” the misunderstood motivators as to how Black communities vote, and the dismissal in progressive and conservative spaces of Black independence, autonomy and choice. We'll then come together, in session two to process the aftermath of the election and shine some historical context onto the political stage playing out in front of us. Teacher: Ifeoma Ike ​Ifeoma Ike, Esq. is a Lehman College Professor, founder of Pink Cornrows and visionary of the Black Policy Lab, which explores how culture, research and policy informs and impacts communities of color. Ify has designed efforts to address mental health, criminal justice, teacher diversity, workforce inclusion, gender-based discrimination and international relief.