PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas (June 30, 2020) – The Mellon Center for Faculty Excellence at Prairie View A&M University (PVAMU) is hosting a virtual lecture series to discuss the current systemic feature of race, the continued attack on Black bodies, and the subsequent protests to address structural racism in American society.
From mid-June through early July, “A Series on Race, Black Lives, and Protests,” features prominent humanities scholars engaging in current discussions.
“In our current societal and cultural climate, this series aims to contextualize this particular time in American history,” said William T. Hoston, Ph.D., director of the Mellon Center for Faculty Excellence, interim associate dean of the Marvin D. and June Samuel Brailsford College of Arts and Sciences, and professor of political science. “The time is now to think in multidimensional ways about the continued challenges facing Black Americans.”
Hoston serves as the series moderator and conduit to some of the nation’s top scholars as they share their thoughts about systemic and institutional racism and discrimination.
“Each speaker brings a unique perspective to the discussion to examine race and racism through the lenses of history, sociology, and African-American studies,” Hoston said. “With this series, we are fostering dialogue amongst a community who has already experienced the hardship of losing Sandra Bland, one of our own. For Black Americans, we want to control the narrative of our own stories, and such a lecture series does that for the Prairie View community.”
Established through grant support last fall, the Mellon Center for Faculty Excellence seeks to promote and sustain a campus culture that values artistic and humanistic research, intellectual inquiry, and cutting-edge scholarship. The center is dedicated to supporting faculty development in the humanities and associated social sciences through recruitment, retention, and research productivity.
As inaugural director of the center, Hoston is tasked with developing and overseeing events, organizing lectures series, and supporting and recognizing faculty.
“I’m excited about the unlimited potential of this center,” he said.
The center plans to continue the virtual lecture series into the fall.
To receive a personalized Zoom link for the virtual lecture series, email William Hoston at wihoston@pvamu.edu, or James Palmer, provost and senior vice president for Academic Affairs, at jmpalmer@pvamu.edu.
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