First Door County Talks of the Year Focuses on Immigration Politics

Alise Coen. Submitted.

The Door Community Auditorium (DCA) will continue its Door County Talks series this winter.

Alise Coen will present “Immigration Politics: Between Rights and Restrictions” on Jan. 18 in partnership with the Door County Civility Project. Debates over U.S. immigration policy have been shaped by a complex history characterized by tensions between migration restrictions and migrants’ rights, so it’s important to engage with the evolution of both nativism and human-rights advocacy. Coen aims to weave these sometimes paradoxical historical forces to shed light on current political realities.

Vince Lowery will present the Feb. 8 program, “How Many Reconstructions Does It Take to Be Free? A Meditation on the Long Civil Rights Movement.” With the abolition of slavery, the U.S. entered the period of Reconstruction, when the meaning of freedom remained in question. Lowery will explore progress, regression and the road left to travel.

Kimberley Reilly will present the Feb. 22 talk, “Woman Suffrage 100 Years Later: Assessing Its Triumphs and Limits” in partnership with the Door County Civility Project and the League of Women Voters. How did the women’s rights movement win passage of the Nineteenth Amendment, and what lessons can we learn from that victory? Reilly will examine the history of the suffrage movement and battles that were left unfinished.

The Door County Civility Project will again partner with the DCA for “The Radical Vision of the American Abolitionists” by Nolan Bennett on Feb. 29. He’ll look at how those opposed to slavery offered a new, expansive reading of American ideals as they challenged the “peculiar institution.”No registration is required to attend the free Door County Talks series. All programs will start at 10 am. Free-will donations at the door will be appreciated. Kick Ash Coffee and bakery items will be available for purchase.