Southeastern Social Justice Speaker scheduled
Wednesday, October 18, 2017
by: Tonya Lowentritt
SOCIAL JUSTICE SPEAKER - Adrienne Maree Brown, an author, science fiction scholar, community organizer and activist is the scheduled guest speaker for Southeastern Louisiana University’s Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice’s 13th Annual Social Justice Speaker Series. Brown will offer a free student workshop and lecture on Nov. 8.
HAMMOND- Southeastern Louisiana University’s Department of Sociology and Criminal
Justice’s 13th Annual Social Justice Speaker Series will feature Adrienne Maree Brown,
an author, science fiction scholar, community organizer and activist from Detroit
on Wednesday, Nov. 8.
Brown will facilitate a free student workshop from 9:30 to 11:45 a.m. in the
Student Union, room 3505. The workshop will introduce new methods to help groups and
organizations work collectively and creatively. Brown will lead the students through
hands-on activities that encourage new ways to hold meetings, plan agendas and build
movement toward organizational goals.
At 2 p.m. in the Student Union Grand Ballroom, Brown will give a free lecture
open to the public based on her book “Emergent Strategy: Shaping Chance, Changing
Worlds,” with a book signing to follow. The book focuses on creative and innovative
ways to organize social justice movements based on her background as a science fiction
writer and activist.
“Adrienne Brown draws inspiration from the work of Octavia Butler,” said Marc
Settembrino, assistant professor of sociology at Southeastern. “She believes that
visionary fiction can help us create communities that we want to live in and has said
she works to motivate others to ‘bend the future toward justice.’”
The Sociology and Criminal Justice Department organizes the annual Social Justice
Speaker Series as a means of bringing nationally and internationally recognized social
justice activists to the Southeastern community. Previous speakers have included Sister
Helen Prejean on the death penalty, Morris Dees of the Southern Poverty and Law Center
on race and racism, and Medea Benjamin, co-founder of Code Pink, on war and human
rights.
For more information, contact the Settembrino at marc.settembrino@southeastern.edu or Kellen Gilbert at kellen.gilbert@southeastern.edu.
