Eighth Annual Spring Literary Forum Series at FAMU

The Eighth Annual Spring Literary Forum Series will take place February 25-26, 2016, on Florida A&M University’s campus. The theme of the upcoming series is “Afra-Retroism: African-American Women and the American South,” and these thought-provoking sessions were designed to broaden worldviews and facilitate illuminating discussions. FAMU’s heritage is our focus as we look to the future by examining our past through the contributions, beauty, resilience, and spirit of African-American women–those “sturdy black bridges”–with roots in the American South.

Legacy Honorees (Noon in Lee Hall Auditorium on Thursday, February 25): Althemese Barnes,  Priscilla Stephens Kruize, Atty. John Due, Patricia Stephens Due (posthumously), and Parks & Crump Law Firm (Atty. Daryl Parks and Atty. Benjamin Crump).

Guest Speakers: Nikky Finney, National Book Award for Poetry 2011; Shirley Sherrod, advocate for rural communities; Bree Newsome, filmmaker and activist; Evelyn Coleman, award-winning novelist; Dr. Larry Rivers, distinguished historian; Dr. Chanta Haywood, authority on African-American women’s literature and culture; and Dr. Patrick Mason, distinguished economist.

Scholars: Dr. Charles Magee, Dr. Kendra Bryant, Vonda Richardson, Dr. Jennifer Taylor, Dr. Rima Fawk, Dr. Tarhonda Lee, and Alexander Brickler.

Panels: 

College of Agriculture and Food Sciences    “Land and Afra-Southern Identity”

College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences    “Southern Health Disparities and the Role of Narrative Research in Addressing Inequities”

Please see times and locations on the website for all activities.  The opening session will begin at 9:30 am (Thursday, February 25).