Author: Tony Platt

Platt discusses his latest work, The Scandal of Cal: Land Grabs, White Supremacy, and Miseducation.

Do not miss this thought-provoking evening with acclaimed author Tony Platt as he unveils the hidden truths behind the renowned University of California, Berkeley, affectionately known as 'Cal.' Celebrated for its innovation and progressive ideals, Berkeley's lesser-known history is marred by plunder, warfare, and white supremacy. In his gripping work, 'The Scandal of Cal,' Platt delves deep into the university's past, shedding light on its unsettling practices such as grave desecration, hoarding of Indigenous remains, and involvement in racist eugenics. Unveiling connections to the military-industrial complex and its role in the Manhattan Project's violent legacy, Platt's book exposes a dark chapter of Cal's involvement in US history. Join us for this enlightening event, where we'll explore the urgent need for a genuine reckoning with the past, a vital endeavor for alumni, students, faculty, and anyone invested in the impact of higher education. Platt will be in conversation with educator and author Milton Reynolds. 

Platt is the author of thirteen books and many essays and articles on race, inequality and social justice in American history, among them Beyond These Walls: Rethinking Crime and Punishment in the United States; Bloodlines: Recovering Hitler’s Nuremberg Laws, from Patton’s Trophy to Public Memorial; and The Child Savers: The Invention of Delinquency. His work has been translated into German, Spanish, Italian and Japanese. In addition to scholarly books and publications, Platt has written for the Los Angeles Times, San Francisco Chronicle, Nation, Salon, Monthly Review and the Guardian, and his commentaries have aired on National Public Radio.

Now a Distinguished Affiliated Scholar at Berkeley’s Center for the Study of Law and Society, Platt taught at the University of Chicago, the University of California, Berkeley, and California State University where he received awards for teaching and scholarship. 

Reynolds is a San Francisco Bay Area-based career educator, author, equity and inclusion consultant and activist. His activism has been devoted to disrupting systems of racial injustice with a focus on juvenile justice reform, law enforcement accountability, environmental justice, youth development, educational transformation and disability justice. His efforts are devoted to creating a more just world in which all people are valued and treated with dignity. Reynolds' publications include a chapter in Seeing Race Again: Countering Colorblindness across the Disciplines, Handbook of Social Justice in Education and one in the recently released Leading in the Belly of the Beast.

Connect: 

Tony Platt - Writing 

Milton Reynolds - Twitter