Published: Nov. 8, 2017

Justice invents, judges and destroys worlds. From racial justice to climate justice, reproductive justice, queer justice, criminal justice, immigrant justice and economic justice, articulations of justice with the topoi of politics and culture are endless.

In public matters of justice, bodies often tip the scales. Since the Sophists, bodies have mattered. Today, bodies continue to enact public address and are acted upon through public address. Through intertwined relationship with identity, power and agency, bodies effectively draw and repulse our attention.

Focused on the theme of “Embodying Justice,” the 30th Anniversary (16th Biennial) Public Address Conference will be held Sept. 27-29, 2018 at the University of Colorado Boulder and Hotel Boulderado. The conference will be hosted by the College of Media, Communication and Information’s Department of Communication and BoulderTalks, and our co-sponsors to date include the National Communication Association, the Denver Department of Communication and the Boulder WRITE Lab.

The Public Address Conference features nationally recognized scholars in the study of rhetoric. Spanning from ancient Greek politics to presidential speeches and contemporary digital protest movement discourses, the conference is a beloved space for intellectual and civic engagement with public life across history and cultures.

The keynote speaker, Professor Eric King Watts, is a leading scholar particularly known for his research on race and ethnicity, voice and voicelessness, and intersectional, multi-modal expressions of culture. The honoree, Professor Celeste M. Condit, is a distinguished professor well known for her groundbreaking work on discourses of race, abortion debates and science communication. Plenary speakers include Michele Kennerly, Kundai Chirindo, Anjali Vats, Danielle Endres, Nina Lozano Reich, Daniel C. Brouwer, Natalie Fixmer-Oraiz and Jeffrey A. Bennett.

Pre-conference roundtables will focus on educational policy and the state of rhetorical studies, with leading faculty from over 30 schools presenting.

Boulder in autumn is a beautiful place to visit. We hope you will join us!

  • Hashtag: #PAC2018
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  • When: Sept. 27-29, 2018
  • Where: Events held Sept. 27on the University of Colorado Boulder campus and open to the public; conference for registered participants will be Sept. 28-29 at the
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