Signs of the Times #33: Realities of Race ft. Nick Ottone

“Any talk of incarceration, any talk of any social issue really, is woefully incomplete unless we talk about race.” Nick Ottone, a senior at Notre Dame, has been involved in many Center courses and programs during his four years all of which revolve around the study of race relations, incarceration, and the intersection of two. In this episode we dive into racial injustice and Nick shares how Center programming such as the Realities of Race seminar, the Inside-Out course, and the Act Justly seminar have shaped his understanding of this. Nick shares how studying historical and current events led to feelings of anger and fueled his passion for working towards racial justice. He has collaborated with other students to develop the Let’s Talk About Race series in which students gather to talk about racial justice issues and racial identity through the lens of personal experience. Nick hopes to pursue a Ph.D. in political science focusing on the political psychology of racial prejudice and how that manifests in non-white Americans.