As part of the College of Charleston’s celebration of Black History Month, the Office of Institutional Diversity (OID) is hosting a lecture by the Honorable Kweisi Mfume  (pronounced Kwah-EE-see Oom-FOO-may), former United States Congressman. Mfume will present “Obama’s America… Where Do We Go From Here?” on Wednesday, February 20, 2013, at 6:00 p.m., in Physicians Memorial Auditorium (72 George St.).

“The rich history of African Americans in America is interwoven with the general history of this great nation,” says John Bello-Ogunu, Sr., associate vice president and chief diversity officer. “Therefore, when we celebrate Black History Month, we are celebrating American history.  We are honored and happy that Congressman Mfume will be joining the College of Charleston in celebrating this very important part of American history this year.”

As a 10-year member of Congress, Mfume consistently advocated for landmark business and civil rights legislation. He successfully co-sponsored and helped to pass the Americans with Disabilities Act, strengthened the Equal Credit Opportunity Law, and co-authored and successfully amended the Civil Rights Bill of 1991 to apply the Act to US citizens working for American-based companies abroad. He also sponsored legislative initiatives banning assault weapons and establishing stalking as a federal crime.

As a member of the House of Representatives, Congressman Mfume was active with a broad array of committee obligations. He served on the Banking and Financial Services Committee, held the ranking seat on the General Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee, and served as a member of the Committee on Education.  Congressman Mfume also served as a senior member of the Small Business Committee. During his third term, Mfume was chosen by the Speaker of the House to serve on the Ethics Committee and the Joint Economic Committee of the House and Senate, where he was later elected Chairman.

OID’s Signature Speaker Series was created to promote community dialogue on diversity issues through presentations, workshops and seminars by local, regional and national speakers with the aim of advancing diversity, access, equity and inclusion at the College of Charleston.

For more information on Black History Month events and other OID programs, please visit www.diversity.cofc.edu.