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Speakers
DSC Center for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Welcomes Speakers
Often called "one of the most courageous persons the Civil Rights Movement ever produced," Congressman John Lewis is a civil rights icon who has dedicated his life to protecting human rights, securing civil liberties, and building what he calls "The Beloved Community" in America.
He was born the son of sharecroppers on February 21, 1940, outside of Troy, Alabama. He grew up on his family's farm and attended segregated public schools in Pike County, Alabama. As a young boy, he was inspired by the activism surrounding the Montgomery Bus Boycott and the words of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., which he heard on radio broadcasts. In those pivotal moments, he made a decision to become a part of the Civil Rights Movement. In 1964, Lewis coordinated SNCC efforts to organize voter registration drives and community action programs during the Mississipi "Freedom Summer." The following year, Lewis led over 600 peaceful protestors across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama. The marchers were attacked by Alabama state troopers in a brutal confrontation that became known as "Bloody Sunday." Despite more than 40 arrests, physical attacks, and serious injuries, John Lewis remained a devoted advocate of the philosophy of nonviolence.
Congressman Lewis was elected to Congress in November 1986 and has served as U.S. Representative of Georgia's Fifth Congressional District since then. That District includes the entire city of Atlanta and parts of Fulton, DeKalb, and Clayton Counties. He will be speaking on the topic, "Building the Beloved Community." The date of the Congressman's appearance will be announced soon.
Dr. Layli Phillips Maparyan is Associate Professor of Women’s Studies and associated faculty of editor of The Womanist Reader (Routledge, 2006) and author of The Womanist Idea (Routledge, 2012). African American Studies at Georgia State University. Dr. Maparyan is a womanist in all senses of the word, bringing scholarship, community work, and spiritual practice together in ways that impact the wellbeing of everyday people and the societal and environmental contexts of life. She is the editor of The Womanist Reader (Routledge, 2006) and author of The Womanist Idea (Routledge, 2011). Since 2009, she has also worked closely with the University of Liberia to assist with the development of its inaugural Gender Studies Program, serving as a Fulbright Specialist in Liberia during Summer 2010.
Dr. Maparyan will be speaking on the topic, "Womanist Spiritual Activism in Global Context: Leymah Gbowee and the Liberian Women’s Peace Movement”. The lecture will take place on Tuesday, March 20, 2012, at 7:00 p.m. in Goodroe Auditorium. Leymah Gbowee was a winner of the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize.
Both events are free and open to the public. For additional information, clidk here.
Contact |
 Robin Cleeland, Ph.D., LCSW Contact Info 209 James E. Brown Center Dalton State College 650 College Drive Dalton, GA 30701 Send Email Links: Profile & Guides |
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