Oakton Celebrates Constitution Day with Discussion on Oppression

Oakton Community College will commemorate Constitution Day 2019 by holding the free public discussion, “Systemic Oppression and the Constitution: How U.S. Laws and Policies Impact Citizen Rights,” 6-8 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 18, in Room C120, at the college’s Skokie campus, 7701 N. Lincoln Ave.

“The conversation will center on how the suppression of voters’ rights and the rights of minorities, women and the disadvantaged undermine U.S. democracy,” says Service Learning Coordinator Karen Roth.

The event will be facilitated by Allen S. Goldberg, international speaker and retired judge. Goldberg served for over 20 years on the Cook County bench and wrote the rules for the Court-Annexed Civil Mediation program. Since 2005, he has directed monthly meditation and arbitration training for sitting judges to become certified mediators.

In addition, facilitators include Roth, Merilee Slipenko, chair of Oakton’s recently accredited paralegal program, and Randy Felsenthal, Oakton instructor.

The event is sponsored by a generous grant from the Oakton Educational Foundation.

Constitution Day observes the Sept. 17, 1787, signing of the U.S. Constitution. The law establishing the holiday was created in 2004. The law mandates that all publicly funded educational institutions—including those that receive federal financial aid—and all federal agencies provide educational programming on the history of the American Constitution.