Russlynn Ali, assistant secretary for the Office for Civil Rights, will participate in a panel discussion entitled, "Institutional Factors: School, Work, Prison," at the Aspen Institute's Symposium on the State of Race in America Monday in Washington. In her presentation, Assistant Secretary Ali will discuss OCR's critical work to ensure that all students have the equal opportunity to learn and study in a safe environment. The symposium is intended to explore the opportunities and challenges for people of color in 21st century America. It will consider how the country has made progress on the racial front, examine why familiar race-related problems persist, and identify the newest generation of racial issues that emerge from the new multi-racial reality. The dialogue will touch on individual, cultural, institutional and structural causes of racial problems, looking towards new and viable solutions within the context of the home, workplace, school and the public sphere.