Four upcoming lectures at Edmonds College
01/03/2013
Edmonds College brings activist Angela Davis (Jan. 17), a panel of experts on the issue of human trafficking (Jan. 31), Seattle NAACP vice president Gerald Hankerson (Feb. 6), and author Jamie Ford (Feb. 27) to campus as part of its lecture series. All events take place in the Black Box Theatre. Free and open to the public.
The lunchtime lecture series brings thought-provoking and inspirational speakers to campus. Each quarter, a committee of students, faculty, and staff invite scholars, artists, activists, and community leaders to campus to spark discussion and reflection in our community. This quarter's lectures feature:
Angela Davis: In Celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day — 12:30 p.m., Thurs., Jan. 17, Black Box Theatre
Through her activism and scholarship over the last decades, Angela Davis has been deeply involved in our nation’s quest for social justice. Her work as an educator—both at the university level and in the larger public sphere—has always emphasized the importance of building communities of struggle for economic, racial, and gender justice. Davis has lectured throughout the United States as well as in Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, and South America. In recent years a persistent theme of her work has been the range of social problems associated with incarceration and the generalized criminalization of those communities most affected by poverty and racial discrimination.
Human Trafficking: Human Trafficking Awareness Month — 12:30 p.m., Thurs., Jan. 31, Black Box Theatre
Every year, thousands of men, women and children fall into the hands of traffickers, in their own countries and abroad. Human trafficking can occur in any industry, including agriculture, construction, domestic service (housekeeper, nanny), restaurants, salons, commercial sex work, massage parlors, and small businesses. Representatives from the Washington Anti-Trafficking Response Network and the Providence Intervention Center for Assault & Abuse will provide an overview of human trafficking from a local, national and global perspective.
Gerald Hankerson: In Honor of Black History Month — 12:30 p.m., Wed., Feb. 6, Black Box Theatre
At age 18, Gerald Hankerson was tried and convicted of accessory to a crime that resulted in a life sentence without parole. Hankerson was the alleged accomplice in a murder where others falsely implicated him, which resulted in his conviction and de facto death sentence. Hankerson was denied clemency in 2006, which caused many community and political leaders and grass-root organizations to form the “Coalition to Free Hankerson.” On April 9, 2009 at the age of 40, Hankerson was granted clemency and released from prison after serving 23 years. Currently he serves as VP of the NAACP in Seattle/King County, as well as an executive board member of The Defender’s Association. Hankerson travels around the state and country discussing issues of the criminal justice system, as well as speaking at local schools and juvenile centers mentoring at-risk youth.
Jamie Ford: Edmonds CC Community Read Author — 12:30 p.m., Wed., Feb. 27, Black Box Theatre
Jamie Ford is the New York Times bestselling author of "Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet," which was an IndieBound Next List selection, and a Borders Original Voices pick. Ford is the great grandson of Nevada mining pioneer Min Chung, who immigrated from Kaiping, China, to San Francisco in 1865, where he adopted the western name "Ford.” Ford is an award-winning short-story writer and an alumnus of the Squaw Valley Community of Writers and a survivor of Orson Scott Card's Literary Boot Camp. Edmonds CC Community Read scholarship winners will also be acknowledged at this event.
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The Black Box Theatre seeks to be a beacon for enlightenment, engagement, education, and entertainment in our community. It seeks to stay relevant and progressive as a workshop of exploration for the students of Edmonds College and for the community that surrounds it. The 200-seat theater, located on campus, offers full service support and state of the art technologies for all types of events including musicals, plays, opera, dance, music events and concerts.
Established in 1967, the college strengthens our diverse community by helping students access educational and career opportunities in a supportive environment that encourages success, innovation, service, and lifelong learning. It serves more than 20,000 students annually. The college offers 75 associate degrees, 51 professional certificates in 33 programs of study. Its highest enrolled programs are the Associate of Arts/Associate of Science degrees, Paralegal, Allied Health (pre-nursing degree), Business/Accounting, Construction Management, and Culinary Arts programs.