Black History Month: Take part in the conversation this week at Augusta University

Black History Month continues at Augusta University this week with two virtual events that will offer thought-provoking ideas and conversation.

First up is a conversation with Kiese Laymon and Jesmyn Ward from 4-5:15 p.m. Feb. 17 on Zoom. This event is hosted by the New Mississippi(s) Project and the African American Read-in at Augusta University. This program will serve as an education platform that engages contemporary writers from Mississippi to deepen the discussion about the intersection of ecological and sociopolitical injustice.

Next is “Courageous Conversation” featuring Raymond Santana, a member of the Exonerated Five, at 6 p.m. Feb. 18 via WebEx. The story of the Exonerated Five, formerly known as the Central Park Five, was the focus of Netflix’s miniseries “When They See Us.”

The five men were wrongfully convicted and sent to prison as teenagers for assaulting a woman who was jogging in Central Park in 1989. Santana spent five years in prison for a crime he did not commit. He will discuss our criminal justice system and current social justice movements.

This event is sponsored by the Lyceum Series and the Office of Multicultural Student Engagement. Livestream viewing, along with a boxed dinner and T-shirt, will be available for the first 50 students in the Lee Auditorium.

Find more Black History Month events here.