DMC Assistant Professor of History Dr. Dawson Barrett Discusses The Defiant: Protest Movements in Post-Liberal America
Article by: Rosa Linda Reynoso
In addition to oppression and inequality, opposition to the status quo, slavery and child labor, United States history also includes the protest movements that have been the driving force of American democracy, from the expansion of voting rights and the end of segregation laws, to minimum wage standards and marriage equality.
In his second published book, The Defiant: Protest Movements in Post-Liberal America,Del Mar College (DMC) Assistant Professor of History Dr. Dawson Barrett calls attention to the post-1960s period, in which the United States’ economic, cultural and political elites turned the tide against the protest movement gains of the previous 40 years and reshaped the ability of activists to influence the political process.
On Thursday, Oct. 4, Dr. Barrett will discuss his new book at 7 p.m. in Room 514 of the William F. White, Jr. Library, located on the DMC East Campus at Naples off Kosar at Staples. In observance of Hispanic Heritage Month and sponsored by the Social Sciences Department and Mexican American Studies Program, this event is free and open to the public.
For more information, contact Dr. Barrett at 698-1630 or dbarrett2@delmar.edu.
Recently published by the New York University Press, The Defiantexplores the major policy shifts of the new Gilded Age through the lens of dissent—through the picket lines, protest marches and sit-ins that greeted them at every turn. Dr. Barrett documents these clashes at neoliberalism’s many points of impact, moving from the Arizona wilderness, to Florida tomato fields, to punk rock clubs in New York and California—and beyond. He takes readers right up to the present day with an epilogue tracing the Trump administration’s strategies and policy proposals and the myriad protests they have sparked.Capturing a wide range of protest movements in action—from environmentalists’ tree-sits to Iraq War peace marches to Occupy Wall Street, #BlackLivesMatter and more—The Defiant is a gripping analysis of the profound struggles of our times.
The Defiant: Protest Movements in Post-Liberal Americais available through numerous online book retailers, including Brazosbookstore.com, Powells.com, Amazon.com or at https://nyupress.org/books/9781479808656.
Copies of The Defiantwill be available for purchase at $25, cash only, and Dr. Barrett will hold a book signing after his presentation.
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