The bets are high, and in the next round you can pass or play the card. Which will you choose?

Senior Brittanie Pearson is trying to educate students on the concepts of white privilege and race relations through “The Race Card: Who holds the privileged hand?”

Pearson said the conference is a platform for students to evaluate how race influences societal rela­tionships. It will be held this Satur­day, Nov. 7, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Drake Legal Clinic.

“The race card” is an informal term referring to the use of one’s race to gain an advantage in a con­versation or debate. O.J. Simpson, Naomi Campbell and even Presi­dent Obama have been accused of using race to their advantage.

Conversely, the white popula­tion in America has access to op­portunities not available to other races. Pearson asks, “Who holds the privileged hand?” Attendees will be asked to analyze the pos­sibility that there are inherent so­cietal norms and practices that ex­clusively benefit one race of peo­ple. Pearson said she saw a need for a forum on Drake’s campus to discuss the issue of race. What began as a personal endeavor soon turned into a project for her Hon­or’s program capstone.

“I was introduced to white privilege by Professor Harvey in Liberation Theology (class),” Pearson said.

She said she began to notice a variety of seemingly race-related arrests and the use of race as a descriptor of suspected criminals involved in crimes in the Drake neighborhood.

“Race tensions seem to be ris­ing on campus and no one wanted to talk about it,” Pearson said.

The conference will offer a se­ries of activities to address modern conceptions of race. Round table discussion groups of students and faculty will allow for open conver­sation of these topics. Workshop sessions will address the social con­struction of race and provide tools to combat institutionalized racial hierarchies.

Pearson said the highlight of the conference is keynote speaker Peggy McIntosh. The author is the associate director of the Wellesley Center for Women at Wellesley College in Boston, Mass. McIn­tosh’s lecture will focus on her 1988 essay, “White Privilege: Un­packing the Invisible Knapsack.” Many scholars consider the article a timeless example of how race can impact societal position.

“Peggy is a recognized name in academia and among the top five recognized speakers over white privilege, so she seemed like a logi­cal choice,” Pearson said.

Pearson said that raising mon­ey to sponsor the speaker was a challenge in organizing the event. Pearson reached out to campus or­ ganizations for assistance, and the Donald V. Adams Leadership Institute, the Center for Global Citizenship, the Engaged Citizen pro­gram, the Women’s Studies program and Stu­dents for Women’s Issues all donated resources and funds.

Student Senate passed a motion allocating $1,058.50 to the conference. Student Senate Treasurer Kyle Lewandowski said the confer­ence would address campus diversity issues.

“Additionally, SFAC noted Ms. Pearson’s personal passion for these issues, as well as the thorough steps she has taken to organize and publicize the conference,” Lewandowski said.

Students have already expressed interest in the conference. First-year student Mario Sin­clair said he plans to attend the event to in­crease his knowledge on the issue.

“I want to hear Peggy McIntosh speak,” Sinclair said. “And, I want to learn more about the racial effects on society.”

The conference will feature McIntosh’s speech, round table discussions and workshops throughout the day. Registration is free, and lunch is provided. Students must register in advance if they would like to attend any part of the conference. E-mail brittanie.pearson@drake.edu for more information or to register for the event.