Standing Room Only for Tim Wise Keynote at Bellevue College

Nationally renowned anti-racism activist and writer, Tim Wise, spoke before a packed house at Bellevue College on Feb. 28 in honor of Black History Month.

Wise is among the most prominent anti-racist writers and educators in the United States. He has spent the past 25 years speaking to audiences nationwide, on over 1,000 college and high school campuses, at hundreds of professional and academic conferences, and to community groups across the country.

“Tim Wise’s work with training teachers, corporate employees, law enforcement officers, and more in methods for addressing and dismantling racism in their institution, makes him an excellent choice to help us honor and celebrate Black History Month,” said Beabe Akpojovwo, program manager for the Office of Equity and Pluralism at BC.

Wise is the author of seven books, including his latest, “Under the Affluence: Shaming the Poor, Praising the Rich and Sacrificing the Future of America” (City Lights Books). Other books include “Dear White America: Letter to a New Minority” (City Lights Books) and his highly acclaimed memoir, “White Like Me: Reflections on Race from a Privileged Son” (recently updated and re-released by Soft Skull Press).

Named one of “25 Visionaries Who are Changing Your World” by Utne Reader, Wise has contributed chapters or essays to over 25 additional books and his writings are taught in colleges and universities across the nation. His essays have appeared on Alternet, Salon, HuffPost, Counterpunch, The Root, Black Commentator, BK Nation and Z Magazine among other popular, professional and scholarly journals.

Wise has been featured in several documentaries, including the 2013 Media Education Foundation release, “White Like Me: Race, Racism and White Privilege in America.” The film, which he co-wrote and co-produced, has been called “A phenomenal educational tool in the struggle against racism,” and “One of the best films made on the unfinished quest for racial justice,” by Eduardo Bonilla-Silva of Duke University, and Robert Jensen of the University of Texas, respectively. He also appeared alongside legendary scholar and activist, Angela Davis, in the 2011 documentary, “Vocabulary of Change.”

Wise appears regularly on CNN and MSNBC to discuss race issues and was featured in a 2007 segment on 20/20. He graduated from Tulane University in 1990 and received antiracism training from the People’s Institute for Survival and Beyond, in New Orleans. He is also the host of the new podcast, “Speak Out with Tim Wise.”