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Dr. Deborah Gray White will be the featured speaker at the annual Carter G. Woodson Lecture at Millersville University. The lecture will take place virtually on Feb. 25 at 7 p.m. and will give historical insight into the way the U.S. has dealt with Black people and disease.
This year’s lecture will focus on the topic of how organizations can manage the pandemic while delivering on missions that confront systemic racism.
White is a current professor at Rutgers University and specializes in African American and American Women’s history. Her research interests include issues of identity and the intersection of race, class, gender and sexuality. She was chosen to lead this year’s lecture based on her extensive writings on how African Americans have been treated by medical professionals. Her historical perspective will guide a discussion on how the Black community has been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
In addition to White, representatives from several regional organizations will come together to discuss their experiences through the COVID-19 pandemic, while continuing their missions. Representatives from Ambassadors of Hope, Church World Services, Patients R Waiting and York City Schools will be featured.
“We want to bring attention to how the pandemic has affected and motivated communities of color around us. We want to show how people of color are managing and innovating despite increased challenges,” says Dr. Caleb Corkery, professor of English at Millersville and one of the organizers of the event. “The organizations we invited have missions that confront systemic racism, so hearing about the challenges they’ve faced and the solutions they’ve developed should be inspiring.”
Members of the Millersville University community are encouraged to attend this year’s lecture to gain insight on the difficulties these organizations face and how to make change within their own communities.
“The Woodson lecture brings the great story of African American perseverance for justice into our own place and time,” says Corkery.
The Carter G. Woodson Lecture series has been a part of Millersville University since the early 1990s and continues to bring African American activists to MU. It is named after Carter G. Woodson, an acclaimed writer and African American activist.
Registration for this event is required. Individuals can register here.
