 1 PM, Wildcat Chamber
Over 40 years ago Richardson began returning, again and again to Cuba, the small Kansas town close to the farm where he grew up. Originally intended as a documentary of fading small town life on the Great Plains where many towns have died, Richardson was surprised — and then heartened — by the great spirit of community that kept the town alive and vibrant with civic life. With each succeeding year the community taught him how people find meaning in their shared lives — and build a spirit of civic involvement that they pass on, generation to generation. From Jim Richardson: Ace community organizer Jeannine Kopsa in Cuba (Kansas) explained to me the difference between “town” and “community. She said it this way: “Cuba is a town of 300 but a community of 700. We have people who live within the city limits but who do not take part in community life. And we have several hundred more who do not live here in the town of Cuba, but who make Cuba the center of their activities and think of themselves as being part of Cuba.” Her revelation was, for me, profound because it opened so many windows of understanding about how communities form, what people get out of community life, and how people create shared meaning out of their shared activities. From that point on I no longer thought of myself as documenting the death of a small town, but the ongoing life of a self-made community. For them the city limits were not the boundaries. Jim Richardson is a photojournalist, writer and educator devoted to environmental and resource issues. From his background as an internationally recognized social documentary photographer of rural life, Richardson has developed a wide ranging body of work covering water and food issues, the impacts of growth and development on human habitat, and complex cultural stories of our rich human heritage. www.jimrichardsonphotography.com On Sunday Washburn Law Professor Michelle Ewert discusses fair housing and constitutional issues raised by national, state and local housing policies and the impact of those policies on people’s access to housing. In particular, Prof Ewert will focus on the one strike eviction policy for public housing and unequal code enforcement in low-income, minority neighborhoods. See: One Strike and You're Out of Public Housing: How the Intersection of the War on Drugs and Federal Housing Policy Violates Due Process and Fair Housing Principles
Sunday February 25, Wildcat Chamber, 2:30 PM Michelle Ewert joined Washburn Law in 2017. Previously she was a clinical teaching fellow in the Civil Advocacy Clinic at the University of Baltimore School of Law. Prior to that Professor Ewert was staff attorney and housing law supervisor at the Homeless Persons Representation Project (HPRP) in Baltimore where she litigated subsidized housing cases in state and federal court and administrative agencies. She has also been staff attorney at Central California Legal Services (CCLS) in Visalia, California and at HOPE Fair Housing in Wheaton, Illinois. Professor Ewert has represented low-income clients, including survivors of domestic violence and people who are homeless, in both urban and rural settings and has been actively involved in the legal services community. She is a graduate of Illinois Wesleyan University, received a Masters in Public Policy from the University of Minnesota, and earned her J.D. from the University of Wisconsin Law School. Professor Ewert is a member of the Wisconsin, Illinois, California, and Maryland bars. Mary Beth Tinker's Supreme Court case 49 years ago continues to shape Living Democracy daily!
Just this week, in the aftermath of the Florida massacre and the mobilization of high school students around the country to stage to protests and demonstrations about the national policy on guns, a Texas school district says it will suspend any student who takes part in a walkout or protest. They might think they have a case. But in actuality, the 1969 Tinker v. Des Moines Independent School District Supreme Court case established the rights of high school students to express a point of view. On Saturday February 24th, Living Democracy welcomes Mary Beth to discuss "The Constitutional Rights of Students and Young People with Regards to Freedom of Expression". The discussion takes place at 2:30 PM in the Wildcat Chamber at the Kansas State Student Union. Earlier that day, at 12 PM, the K-State Beach museum welcomes Manhattan area high school students and their teachers to meet Mary Beth during a pizza lunch. This free event is open to all area high school students and their teachers. Advance registration is required. To register, email Kathrine Walker Schlageck, Associate Curator of Education, Marianna Kistler Beach Museum of Art [email protected]. Those visiting the Kemper Gallery to check out "Living Democracy in Print" will see that in addition to the intriguing screen prints created by K State art students, the Kemper has been transformed into Living Democracy Lounge, a welcoming space to meet. Come out and engage, let the art prompt a dialogue, or just chill! 
February 21, 1 - 3 PM, Wildcat Chamber, Student Union
On Wednesday KSU alum Jeremy Platt of Clark & Platt, CHTD. discusses the types of force used by police officers, and how much force is acceptable under the Constitution. From mere physical presence to lethal force; what are police permitted under the Constitution? This talk touches on: Fourth Amendment The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized. and Tenth Amendment The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people. Due to last night's ice storm, the first constitution talk has been rescheduled to Monday March 5th. In this discussion, Micah Kubik, Executive Director of the Kansas ACLU, will review how Kansas became one of the most restrictive states when it comes to voting, and explore what steps can be taken to ensure that eligible Kansans are given the right to vote. This conversation is especially timely, as the Kansas voting policies will be challenged in a law suit that opens March 6th at the Dole Courthouse in Kansas City.
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