This semester, visiting A.D. White Professors-at-Large will explore themes of democracy, reparatory justice and Latin American narratives during public talks.
The visiting professors are:
- Steven Levitsky, professor of government and director of the David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies at Harvard University;
- Sir Hilary Beckles, professor of economic and social history and vice-chancellor of the University of the West Indies; and
- Martín Caparrós, Argentine author, writer and narrative journalist.
Levitsky, who will visit campus the week of March 17-21, will speak about “The Crisis (and Resilience) of Global Democracy” on March 18, at 4:30 p.m. in the Rhodes-Rawlings Auditorium in Klarman Hall.
“Steven Levitsky is one of the most important scholars of democracy in the world today,” said Thomas Pepinsky, the Walter F. LaFeber Professor in the Department of Government, in the College of Arts and Sciences (A&S) and one of Levitsky’s faculty hosts. “From his early work on partisan politics in Argentina and on electoral authoritarianism around the world, he has brought rigor, nuance and conceptual insights to the study of democracy, past and present.”
Levitsky, who grew up in Ithaca and graduated from Ithaca High School, focuses his scholarship on the comparative study of democracy and authoritarian governments worldwide. He’s written about political parties, informal institutions and competitive authoritarianism. Levitsky rose to prominence with a book and a series of related articles on Argentine Peronism.
His most recent books, co-written with Harvard colleague Daniel Ziblatt, are “Tyranny of the Minority: Why American Democracy Reached the Breaking Point” (2023) and “How Democracies Die” (2018).
“These two major works brought his sharp analytical mind to bear on the problems confronting American democracy in the 21st century,” said Kenneth Roberts, the Richard J. Schwartz Professor in the Department of Government (A&S) and a faculty host. “Students, faculty and community members have a rare opportunity to learn about the state of democracy around the world and at home from one of the world’s leading scholars – who will also be making a homecoming.”
Beckles will visit the week of March 24-28; he will host “The Idea of White Slavery: The West Indies Experience in the 17th Century,” March 27, 4:45 p.m., Rhodes-Rawlings Auditorium, Klarman Hall and via Zoom (link will be announced on the website).
Beckles has served as chairman of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Reparations Commission since 2013. He also has served as an inaugural member of the United Nations Science Advisory Board on Sustainable Development, and as an adviser for the United Nations World Culture Report.
“Beckles’ argument for reparations is both sustained by his own meticulous historical research and by his active participation in the most high-level venues to discuss the paths forward on the matter,” said Ernesto Bassi, associate professor of history (A&S), director of Cornell’s Latin American and Caribbean Studies Program and one of the faculty hosts. “His visit will offer members of the Cornell community an extraordinary opportunity to understand why Sir Hilary Beckles considers the case for reparations ‘the greatest political movement of the 21st century.’”
Beckles has been recognized for his contributions to the field of economic history as a pathway for exploring reparatory justice for slavery and the history of slavery and colonialism in the Caribbean. He is also the author of 13 books, eight plays and numerous essays covering a range of issues, including the history of slavery, gender relations in the Caribbean, sports and popular culture.
“In addition to his work as a global leader on the case for reparations, his involvement with several United Nations organizations, including UNESCO, positions Sir Hilary as one of the best-informed experts on the global impact of the ongoing geopolitical realignment on the United Nations’ work in the areas of education, public health and other issues of direct relevance to universities around the world,” said Judith A. Byfield, the Stephen ’59 and Madeline ’60 Anbinder Professor in the Department of History (A&S) and another faculty host.
Caparrós will visit campus the week of April 21-25. His public talk, “How to Tell a Continent: Current Journalism in Latin America” (“Cómo contar un continente: Periodismos actuales en América Latina”) is tentatively scheduled for April 24, at 4:30 p.m. in Lewis Auditorium, Goldwin Smith Hall.
Faculty host Edmundo Paz-Soldan, Distinguished Professor of Arts & Sciences and chair of the Department of Romance Studies (A&S), said Caparrós will also give a workshop on new narratives in Latin America and meet with undergraduates to discuss the prevalence of hunger in the world.
“As one of the most renowned journalists and chroniclers working today, Caparrós has shown how long-form narratives can capture the most pressing social and political challenges facing us today,” Paz-Soldan said.
In 2017, Caparrós was awarded the Maria Moors Cabot award by the Columbia Graduate School of Journalism for outstanding reporting on America. The award noted his nonfiction book-length work, “El Hambre” (“Hunger”; 2014), in which he visits both the richest and poorest people on Earth to explore the issue of hunger.
Caparrós has written more than 30 books published in more than 30 countries. His most recent, “Ñamerica,” attempts to describe and analyze the present state of Latin America. He was the recipient of the Herralde Prize in 2011 for his novel, “Los Living,” the Planeta Prize in 2004 for his novel, “Valfierno,” and the Guggenheim Fellowship in 1994.
Visit the ADW-PAL website for the full series of events.
