Melissa Harris-Lacewell talked about racial issues in U.S. politics. Topics included the anomalies of the 2008 presidential race, race and governing, race as a factor in candidate choice, and racial inequality as an issue area. She responded to questions from the audience following her presentation.

Professor Harris-Lacewell is the author of Barbershops, Bibles and BET: Everyday Talk and Black Political Thought, (Princeton, 2004), which demonstrates how African Americans develop political ideas through ordinary conversations in places, such as barbershops, churches and popular culture.

This lecture, "The Significance of Race in U.S. Politics, was part of the January Term: Dialogues of Innovation Series of Lynn University.