Eighth Annual Spring Literary Forum Series FAMU celebrates the Afra-Southern Experience
“Afra-Retroism: African-American Women and the American South” February 25-26, 2016 Lee Hall Auditorium
Newsomegrabbed her climbing gear and proceeded to shimmy her way up a 30-foot flagpole to take down the Confederate flag from South Carolina State-house.
COLEMAN, DR. HAYOOOD, SHERROD and DR. RIVERS
By Nikky Finney
In honor of Black History Month, Florida A&M University’s Department of English and Modern Languages will host the 8th Annual Spring Literary Forum Series. It will be held Feb. 25-26, 2016, at Lee Hall Auditorium on FAMU’s campus. This event is free and open to the public.
This year’s theme: is “Afra-Retroism and the American South.” We have an exciting, thought-provoking program prepared for our students, faculty, alumni and community as we celebrate the “Afra-Southern experience.” National Book Award for Poetry recipient Nikky Finney will join a stellar group of presenters. In addition, we are thrilled to welcome film-maker and activist Bree New-some to our campus. Newsome bravely removed the South Carolina Confederate flag to honor Rev. Clementa Pinckney, slain South Carolina state senator and pastor of Emanuel A.M.E. Church, and members of his bible study class in Charleston, South Carolina.
Our celebrated guest speakers also include Shirley Sherrod, Dr. Larry Rivers, Evelyn Coleman, and Dr. Chanta Haywood. The authors’ works will be available for sale at the event.
Afra-Retroism is an artistic, social, literary, and political reflection of the contributions and experiences of African-American women. Today, the lives of African-American women in the South—Oklahoma, Texas, Florida, and South Carolina—are making headlines. Our aim during these sessions is to high-light the beauty, strength, humanity, and resilience of Black women with roots in the American South, while exploring the influence of the past on their lives in the present and the future.
We would like to thank our partners: Florida A&M University Division of Academic Affairs; the Department of English and Modern Languages; the Literary Guild; the College of Social Sciences, Arts and Humanities; the College of Agriculture and Food Sciences; and the Meek-Eaton Southeastern Black Archives. We are grateful for our alumni supporters! For additional information, please call (850) 561-2274 or (850) 599-8697.
Founded on Oct. 3, 1887, Florida A&M University (FAMU) is part of the State University System of Florida. It is an 1890 land-grant institution dedicated to the advancement of knowledge, resolution of complex issues and the empowerment of citizens and communities. Florida A&M University is Florida’s only state-sup-ported Historically Black College and University (HBCU), enrolling nearly 11,000 students from the United States of America and other parts of the world. FAMU has 14 schools and colleges, and offers 98 degree programs. The university also offers the juris doctor at its College of Law in Orlando.
