What Red Wave?

As political divides widen and voter demographics evolve, the 2022 midterm results have defied expectations and posed new questions for the country’s future.

Through the Melvin L. Oliver Racial Justice Initiative (RJI), Pitzer’s Adrian Pantoja, UCLA’s Gary M. Segura, and USC’s Ange-Marie Hancock will discuss the midterms’ broader implications through the lens of race and politics.

Covering multiracial coalitions and the diversifying electorate, the panel will take place on Tuesday, November 29, 2022, at 6 p.m. at Benson Auditorium.

The event is free and open to the public.

“The red wave failed to materialize in 2022,” said Pantoja, who serves as RJI chair. “How did Democrats defy history and outperform the Republican Party? As the electorate becomes more diverse, how do the political parties and candidates change their political strategies?”

To help him answer that, Pantoja will be joined by Segura, who is dean of the Luskin School of Public Affairs at UCLA, and Hancock, dean's professor and chair of the department of political science and international relations at USC.

Established in 2020 by Pitzer President Melvin L. Oliver to embed racial justice throughout the Pitzer educational experience, RJI was renamed the Melvin L. Oliver Racial Justice Initiative in his honor when he retired in June 2022. Pitzer College also established an endowed fund to support RJI on a permanent basis.

For more event information, visit here.