Schalk Lecture: "Obama's America: Race Whispering, Obama's Presidency, Our Racial Future"

Dr. Melanye Price will give this year's Schalk Lecture, "Obama's America: Race Whispering, Obama's Presidency, Our Racial Future."

She is an associate professor of Africana studies and political science at Rutgers University, New Brunswick, N.J.

Her research and teaching interests include black politics, public opinion and social movements. Her most recent book, "The Race Whisperer: Barack Obama and the Political Uses of Race,"  examines the ways that President Obama uses race to deflect negative racial attitudes and engage with a large cross-section of voters.

Dr. Price did election commentary for the 2016 election season on Philadelphia’s NBC 10. She also was a contributor to Stanley Nelson’s documentary, "Obama: Through the Fire," which aired on BET in January. 

Her talk is made possible by the Stephen L. Schalk Lecture in Political Science and Current Events, which provides resources for a lectureship program concentrating on political science and public affairs. The lecture was established in 1998 with a gift from the late Stephen Schalk, a Davenport attorney and a 1969 graduate of Augustana.