The College of Charleston announces the establishment of the Race and Social Justice Initiative 2016 Event Series.
This program will feature several nationally-known thought leaders discussing issues surrounding race and social justice in Charleston and throughout the nation. Speakers include journalist Ta-Nehisi Coates, education activist Marion Wright Edelman, and social justice advocate Bryan Stevenson.
The series will be held at the College of Charleston’s Sottile Theatre, 44 George St.. All programs are free and open to the public.
The Race and Social Justice Initiative is a collaborative effort led by the Avery Research Center for African American History and Culture, Addlestone Library, the African American Studies Program, and the Lowcountry Digital History Initiative. The upcoming lectures series is made possible by a grant from Google, with additional funding and outreach support from various community partners.
Series Speakers
March 1, 2016, 6:30 p.m.
Marion Wright Edelman, author and president of the Children’s Defense Fund, will discuss her work as a civil rights activist and advocate for disadvantaged Americans. Edelman will be introduced by former N.C. State Sen. Malcolm Graham, the brother of Cynthia Graham Hurd, one of the victims of the mass shooting at the Emanuel A.M.E. Church in Charleston. Edelman was one of Cynthia Graham Hurd’s favorite authors.
March 31, 2016, 6 p.m.
Bryan Stevenson, the executive director of the Equal Justice Initiative, will deliver a lecture entitled, “American Injustice: Mercy, Humanity and Making a Difference.” He will also sign copies of his book Just Mercy. This memoir documents his groundbreaking work as a lawyer challenging the American justice system and mass incarceration.
Oct. 18, 2016, 6:30 p.m.
Renowned author and journalist Ta-Nehisi Coates will deliver a lecture entitled “A Deeper Black: Race in America.” His most recent publication, Between the World and Me, received the National Book Award for 2015. Coastes was also the recipient in 2015 of a MacArthur “Genius Grant” Fellowship.
