Fernando R. Gomez Latino Lecture Series
On the Question of Equity and Inclusion: What the Book of Mormon Has to Say
Diversity, equity, and inclusion are topics under much debate in our country and they clearly impact Latinos and other racial and ethnic minorities, but also people of different nationalities, classes, orientations, and circumstances. As Latter-day Saints, we should step back from the debate and look at what our own scripture has to say. Pagán brings expertise in ethnohistory to explore how Mormon compiled the history of the Nephites in the Book of Mormon to serve as a warning. What happens when a nation fails to consider the experiences of those who do not comfortably fit within the national narrative? What are the consequences that come when the wealthy and powerful fail to see beyond their own interests and perspectives?
Eduardo Obregón Pagán
Bob Stump Endowed Professor of History, Associate Dean of Barrett, The Honors College, Arizona State University
Dr. Eduardo Obregón Pagán is a versatile interdisciplinary historian whose work explores the complex experiences and interplay of the many populations of the American West — American Indians, Spanish explorers, Mexicans, religious outcasts, European immigrants, African Americans, and Asians. He has published in literary, geology, history, and sociology journals, and is the author of Murder at the Sleepy Lagoon: Zoot Suits, Race, and Riot in Wartime L.A. (University of North Carolina Press, 2004), and Valley of the Guns: The Pleasant Valley War and the Trauma of Violence (University of Oklahoma Press, 2018). He is currently at work on a book that explores the dark underside of the narcotic trade in the Old West. He has also been active as a public historian, publishing books on the history of Phoenix with a trade press, and serving as a co-host on the popular PBS and PBSUK series History Detectives. He has been featured on several domestic and international television shows and documentaries and is currently the adjunct curator of history at the Desert Caballeros Western Museum.
Students in the College of Family, Home, and Social Sciences gain Experience Points for attending this lecture. Learn more about Experience Points.