Mary Funnyé Goldson Lecture “Confronting the Racist Legacy of the American Child Welfare System: The Case for Abolition”

FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC | IN PERSON CSSW C05 & ONLINE (VIA ZOOM) | REGISTRATION FORTHCOMING

Alan Dettlaff (bio) is a professor at the University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work, where he also served as Dean through 2022. Alan began his career as a social worker in the family policing system, where he worked as a caseworker and administrator. Today his work focuses on ending the harm that results from this system. In 2020, he helped to create and launch the upEND movement, a collaborative effort dedicated to abolishing the family policing system and building alternatives that focus on healing and liberation. He is also co-founding editor of Abolitionist Perspectives in Social Work, a peer-reviewed scholarly journal dedicated to developing and disseminating an abolitionist praxis in social work. For this lecture, Dr. Dettlaff will trace the origins of family separations in the United States and present an argument that modern family separations done by the child welfare system are simply an extension of state regulation and control designed to maintain the oppression of Black Americans. The lecture will present the body of evidence demonstrating the harms of family separations and identify abolition as the only solution toward ending these harms and building a society based on freedom and liberation.

ABOUT THE MARY FUNNYÉ GOLDSON LECTURE

Established in 1991, the Mary Funnyé Goldsen Lecture honors the vision and memory of its namesake, who was a beloved member of Columbia School of Social Work faculty and a tireless advocate on behalf of children and families. Targeted toward professionals who work with children and families, the Lecture is intended to expand their knowledge and strengthen their social work practice. The Goldson Lecture focuses on children welfare and support of child welfare professionals.

Questions?

Please contact sswalumni@columbia.edu.