The College of Social Sciences at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa announces the selection of former U.S. congressional member Colleen Hanabusa as Lecturer and Daniel K. Inouye Visiting Scholar. The joint appointment is shared between the Public Policy Center and the Political Science Department. In this capacity, she will teach a course on the topic of civil liberties in times of crisis during the spring 2016 semester.
Funded by the Daniel K. Inouye Institute (DKII), Hanabusa’s position reflects DKII’s and the college’s efforts to foster a climate of critical thinking among students regarding the values of freedom, fairness, integrity and democratic ideals in today’s contemporary society.
“The Daniel K. Inouye Institute is proud to support the Lecturer and Daniel K. Inouye Visiting Scholar series. Senator would be especially pleased that Colleen would be the lecturer,” said Institute Director Jennifer Sabas. “It coincides with the DKI Distinguished Lecture series at the Library of Congress, which will feature former U.S. Senator Al Simpson and former Secretary of Transportation Norm Mineta on the topic of ensuring civil liberties in times of national crisis in the Spring of 2016. Simpson and Mineta befriended one another as Boy Scouts in Cody, Wyoming, each belonging to a troop on either side of barbed wire. Mineta’s troop was in the Heart Mountain internment camp. As elected officials, Simpson would support Inouye, Mineta and others in the passage of the Japanese American redress measure wherein our nation apologized and provided reparations to the thousands of Japanese Americans who were denied their civil liberties during WWII.
“Defending America’s fundamental freedoms–whether during World War II or after September 11th when Arab Americans were systematically profiled and discriminated against, to privacy and 1st Amendment protections when are nation is under sieges–is at the core of who Senator Inouye was,” continued Sabas. “Not only recognizing it, but having the courage to ‘call it’ and then act to correct the injustice, no matter how difficult or how long it took.”
Added College of Social Sciences Dean Denise Eby Konan, “Colleen Hanabusa is a dynamic individual who, with her wealth of knowledge and experience, will challenge our students to become more forward-thinking, global citizens that will touch lives and break down barrierss–much like Senator Inouye did throughout his lifetime. We are honored to have her with us.”
