Citizen Revolt: Week of July 22
Provo Candidate Debate, How Black Athletes Overcame Hitler, Earth, Wind and Fire—Not the Band, Employment Ethics
By Katharine Biele @kathybiele
Provo Candidate Debate
Provo's gearing up for quite the campaign season with 15 hopefuls on the ballot. That includes Mayor Michelle Kaufusi, who's being challenged by four men—one of whom has the email username "letsmakeprovogreatagain." Wonder where he got that? Kaufusi was Jon Huntsman Jr.'s running mate in his most recent bid for governor, and she has been Provo mayor for the last four years. No one should think that Provo is a monolithic city, although BYU and church-related experience dominate candidate profiles. "Discussion topics will include transportation, land use and development, and sustainability," say the hosts of the 2021 Provo City Council Candidates Debate. Most of the candidates have confirmed their attendance. You may post questions. Virtual, Wednesday, July 28, 7 p.m., free. https://bit.ly/3ySUaVV
How Black Athletes Overcame Hitler
Someone will probably claim that this 2016 film and a new book on the subject marked the beginnings of Critical Race Theory. Still, it would benefit Americans to familiarize themselves with "Olympic Pride, American Prejudice" and how 18 African American athletes defied Jim Crow and Adolf Hitler at the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin. They won both hearts and medals. Author Deborah Riley Draper "exposes the complex, triumphant narratives of these athletes, who represented a country that considered them second-class citizens and competed in a country that rolled out the red carpet for them, despite the rise of Nazism." Join the Museum of Jewish Heritage for a conversation with Draper. Virtual, Thursday, July 29, 5 p.m., free. https://bit.ly/3ii5W5K
Earth, Wind and Fire—Not the Band
Climate change is wreaking havoc on our forests and watershed—and oh, that air quality! What can we expect for the future, if not a decimated landscape? "Utah has experienced several of the largest fires in state history in the past few years, leaving large scars in our forests and degrading air quality, fish habitat and water resources." Is this what we can expect? Will fires be an every-day occurrence and will Utah's water resources be depleted? There may be better ways to manage our forests, fires, fish and water resources to ensure better outcomes in the future. At Fired Up: Wildfire, Fish and Water Security in Utah, Utah State University professor Patrick Belmont will help you process the situation as he works to make science useful for policy and management. Virtual/interactive, Thursday, July 29, 6:30 p.m. Free/register at https://bit.ly/3hIMHTD
Employment Ethics
You might think this is an oxymoron, but The Ethics of Employment: COVID-19 & Utah's Workforce may disabuse you of that. Experts in Utah's job market will discuss "how COVID-19 and its many societal impacts exposed and exacerbated existing inequalities, as well as potential solutions for crafting an equitable recovery for all Utahns." Utah continues to rank high among the 50 states for the strongest economy, but what happens when federal unemployment benefits get slashed because "slackers" ought to go back to work? The Hinckley Institute Radio Hourhosts a panel that includes Peter Philips of the University of Utah Economics Department; Theresa Foxley, president and CEO of the Economic Development Corporation of Utah; Silvia Castro, executive director of the Suazo Business Center; and Heidi Walker, chief operating officer for the Salt Lake Chamber of Commerce. Recorded, any time, free. https://bit.ly/3id8EJO
About The Author
Katharine Biele
A City Weekly contributor since 1992, Katharine Biele is the informed voice behind our Hits & Misses column. When not writing, you can catch her working to empower voters and defend democracy alongside the League of Women Voters.
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