News from campus and beyond
Black History Month 2021
Furman University is celebrating Black History Month in a variety of ways throughout February.
Read about the achievements of African American alumni, such as renowned opera singer Sarah Reese ’71, celebrated liturgist Rawn Harbor ’71 and university president Angela Franklin ’81.
The following is a list of Furman’s Black History Month events:
February 1 Haben Girma: Meet the first Deafblind Person to Conquer Harvard Law CLP
5 p.m. – 6 p.m., Zoom webinar, co-sponsored by the Furman Pre-Law Society and the Student Office for Accessibility Resources
The first Deafblind person to graduate from Harvard Law School, Haben Girma is a human rights lawyer advancing disability justice. President Obama named her a White House Champion of Change. She received the Helen Keller Achievement Award, a spot on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list, and TIME100 Talks. President Bill Clinton, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Chancellor Angela Merkel have all honored Haben. Haben believes disability is an opportunity for innovation, and she teaches organizations the importance of choosing inclusion. The New York Times, Oprah Magazine and the TODAY Show featured her memoir,“Haben: The Deafblind Woman Who Conquered Harvard Law.” Haben will discuss her memoir and experiences.
February 5 Furman Friday: Happy Black History Month!
12 p.m. – 2 p.m. – Trone Center – Hill Courtyard
Join the Student League for Black Culture, Furman’s Chapter of the NAACP and the Center for Inclusive Communities for as we kick off Black History Month 2021. Learn more about month-long events happening on campus in celebration and honor of Black history and culture.
February 8 James Forman, Jr.: Locking Up Our Own: Crime and Punishment in Black America CLP
5 p.m. – 6 p.m., Zoom webinar co-sponsored by the Furman Pre-Law Society & the Cothran Center
James Forman Jr. is J. Skelly Wright Professor of Law at Yale Law School. He teaches and writes in the areas of criminal procedure and criminal law policy, constitutional law, juvenile justice and education law and policy. His particular interests are schools, prisons, and police, and those institutions’ race and class dimensions. Forman’s first book, Locking Up Our Own: Crime and Punishment in Black America, won the Pulitzer Prize for Non-Fiction, and was longlisted for the National Book Award. It has been named a Best Book of the Year by numerous publications, including the New York Times, The Marshall Project, Publisher’s Weekly, and GQ Magazine. Reviewers have called the book “superb and shattering” (New York Times), “eloquent” and “sobering” (London Review of Books), and “moving, nuanced, and candid” (New York Review of Books). Forman will discuss his book.
February 11 The Politics of Black Twitter featuring Dr. Mia Moody-Ramirez CLP Pending
8 p.m. – 9 p.m., virtual, co-sponsored by SLBC, the Furman chapter of the NAACP, the Department of Politics and International Affairs and the Department of Communication Studies.
Mia Moody-Ramirez is a professor and chair of the Baylor University Department of Journalism, Public Relations and New Media. The author or co-author of four books, Moody-Ramirez has also been widely published in a variety of academic and industry journals. Her research emphasizes media framing of people of color, women and political candidates, the pros and cons of social media in political campaigns and how historical stereotypes are found in social media platforms. This event will focus on Moody-Ramirez’s research surrounding race, media and politics and will give students an opportunity to learn how race and media are intertwined.
Feb 25 Battered and Beautiful: Universities’ Legacies with Dr. Brandon Inabinet CLP Pending
6:30 p.m., virtual, co-sponsored by SLBC and NAACP.
Within the last decade, colleges and universities across the U.S. have begun paying greater attention to the historical role of slavery at their institutions. Furman began this quest in the Spring of 2017 when the Task Force on Slavery and Justice was commissioned to examine Furman’s historical connections to slavery. Brandon Inabinet, associate professor of communication studies, will discuss the broad movement of universities studying slavery and slavery’s impact on a university’s legacy. Discussion around why universities should acknowledge their history and reconcile with the notion of slavery and their racist history, is integral to paving the way toward more diverse and inclusive campus.
February 26 Issa Vibe Paint Party
6:30 p.m., Watkins Room, sponsored by the CIC and SLBC.
Join us for a fun evening out on campus. Vibe out to good music and tap into your creative energy with your very own iconic paint by numbers kit. Space is limited to 30 students. Registration required.
For event details visit SyncDIN and follow @slbc.fu, @naacpfurman & @furman_cic on Instagram