Hear Bryan Stevenson’s lecture on “American Injustice: Mercy, Humanity and Making a Difference,” March 31st
Last summer, Google granted funding to several institutions within the College of Charleston (Avery Research Center, Addlestone Library, African American Studies, and the Lowcountry Digital History Initiative – LDHI) to create the Race and Social Justice Initiative in response to recent tragic events in the Charleston area, including the shooting death of Walter Scott and the June 17th massacre at Emanuel AME Church. Coastal Community Foundation has joined in support of this initiative, which will “facilitate public events, exhibitions, and various projects that promote awareness of the ongoing struggles of racial injustice in Charleston, South Carolina and through the United States.”
On March 31st, please join CCF in attending free lecture and book signing by Bryan Stevenson: “American Injustice: Mercy, Humanity and Making a Difference”. Author of memoir Just Mercy, Bryan Stevenson is a renowned lawyer and Executive Director of nonprofit Equal Justice Initiative. He advocates for equitable solutions to structural injustice present in our justice system today (2.3 million people imprisoned – highest rate of any country in the world; one-third of black men born in the 21st century likely to be imprisoned). This event precedes the October 2016 lecture “A Deeper Black: Race in America” by Ta-Nehisi Coates, social justice advocate, national correspondent of The Atlantic and author of The Beautiful Struggle and Between the World and Me.
Bryan Stevenson’s lecture will begin at 6 p.m. at Sottile Theatre at 44 Calhoun Street at the College of Charleston and is free and open to the public. Seating is limited to please arrive a few minutes early!
Don’t forget to pick up your free copy of Just Mercy at any Charleston County Public Library before the event! See link for full listing of library branch locations. All copies are provided by funding from Starbucks and Coastal Community Foundation. Events and panel discussions surrounding Bryan’s talk on American Injustice will be offered by CCPL through the month of March, and from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on March 31st.
Here is the full list of partners in the Race and Social Justice Initiative’s lecture series:
The Avery Institute
Avery Research Center
Charleston County Public Library
Coastal Community Foundation
Google
International African American Museum (IAAM)
The Phyllis Wheatley Literary and Social Club
SC Community Loan Fund
The Sophia Institute
South Carolina Humanities
Starbucks
SunTrust
The Women’s Resource Project, Inc.
Most recently, the Race and Social Justice Initiative received funding from South Carolina Humanities to help fund lectures and additional outreach events for the RSJI 2016 lecture series.
Please visit Avery Research Center’s page on the Race and Social Justice Initiative for more updates.
Go to the event on College of Charleston’s website to learn more about Bryan Stevenson’s lecture and book signing, American Injustice: Mercy, Humanity and Making a Difference.
