The Graduate Association for African American History at the University of Memphis will host a renowned speaker from Princeton University next week.
Eddie Glaude, Chair for African American Studies at Princeton University and William S. Tod Professor of Religion and African American Studies, will present his lecture called the “The Values Gap: Race and Contemporary American Politics” at the University Center Ballroom Feb. 12 at 6:30 p.m. The discussion will be about a different view on African Americans through the Christian religion and African American society together.
Fifty-four year old Jeffery Jones, the president of the graduate association, saw Glaude at a conference at Rhodes College in Feb. 2014.
“I was impressed by the lecture,” Jones said. “Glaude discussed about the black communities, how African Americans went through rough times from the Obama administration, housing decrease and employment.”
Glaude also came from a religious standpoint and critically analyzed how African American religion is with today’s societal issues. As a history major, I seldom hear the issue discussed with religion. I hope that Glaude will bring about a better perspective on African Americans.”
Glaude’s lecture is part of a three days conference through the 16th Annual Conference in African American History through Feb. 11 through Feb. 13 at the University Center.
The conference will have about three to four different discussions each day.
At the conference, graduate students will discuss their papers, local scholars will comment on their paper, and there will be guest speakers presenting their topics. On Feb. 11, the discussions will be about identity and culture in African American culture, societal policy and the binaries of politics against social change, religion within African American culture, and manhood, militancy, and state power.
On Feb. 12, the conference will have discussions about the aspects of colonialism in the African Diaspora, race and public space, and The Benjamin L. Hooks for Social Change Luncheon and lecture with Daniel Martin, and roundtable discussion and commentary on recent social activism and keynote, main speaker, address with Eddie Glaude. On Feb. 13, the discussions will discuss race and place, social activism and Civil Rights and discussion panel on publishing.
The conferences normally happen annually during the fall semester around September. However, this year is the conference is in February due to a conference conflict with the Association Study of African American Life in History and the conferences will now be in February.
Arwin Smallwood, a former University of Memphis history professor, created the Annual Conference in African American History more than 10 years ago.
Smallwood also created the graduate association with a few graduate students 15 years ago. The graduate association has 14 members currently.
“The association is for anyone who does African American Studies, Colonialism in African History, and Africa in general,” Jones said.
The graduate association has annual conferences, graduate student activities, Black History month activities, and a fundraising event called the Penny Drive, where students can give loose change to help a school in Ghana.
The association will plan for the next conference for February 2016.
