October 27, 2008
Black Cultural Center speaker to make a case for racial reparations
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - |
Charles P. Henry's lecture, titled "We Are Americans: The Aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and the Politics of Language," will be given at 7 p.m. in Fowler Hall. In the epilogue of his book "Long Overdue: The Politics of Racial Reparations," (2007) Henry connects the tragic events following the hurricane to the need for a public dialogue on racial reparations. The event is sponsored by the Black Cultural Center Library, African-American Resource Program and Research Center and the Diversity Resource Office/DiversiKey. It is free and open to the public.
In 1994, President Bill Clinton appointed Henry to the National Council for the Humanities for a six-year term. He is the former president of the National Council for Black Studies and former board chair of Amnesty International USA. Henry authored and edited seven books and more than 80 articles and reviews on black politics, public policy and human rights. His other books include "Ralph Bunche: Model Negro or American Other" (1998) and "Foreign Policy and the Black (Inter)national Interest" (2000). He was the Distinguished Fulbright Chair in American History and Politics at the University of Bologna, Italy, in 2003 and taught at the University of Tours in France as a Fulbright-Tocqueville Distinguished Chair in 2006.
In April Henry received the Chancellor's Award for advancing institutional excellence at the University California, Berkeley. A member of the faculty since 1981, he chaired the African-American Studies Department from 2000-02.
The lecture is part of the Black Cultural Center's semester-long examination of the impact of Hurricane Katrina on the retention of African-American culture and art.
Established in 1969, the Black Cultural Center is nationally recognized and acknowledged by the Association of Black Cultural Centers as one of the best centers of its kind. The center helps the community gain a greater understanding of the African-American heritage and supports and enhances cultural diversity on campus and in the community.
Writer: Clyde Hughes, (765) 494-2073, jchughes@purdue.edu
Sources: Renee A. Thomas, (765) 494-5346, rathomas@purdue.edu
Dorothy Washington, (765) 494-3093, dwashin2@purdue.edu
Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu
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