INA, Ill. (February 1, 2023) - Rend Lake College invites the public to attend a thought-provoking discussion with renowned historian and educator, Father Joseph A. Brown S.J., Ph.D. on the topic of "Defining the Terms by Which We Live: The Circle of Our History." This free event will take place on Wednesday, February 8 at 11am in the PDA of the Student Center on the Ina campus.
Father Brown will be sharing his insights and knowledge on the role that history plays in shaping our present and future, and how we can use it to define the terms by which we live. The talk promises to be both educational and thought-provoking. Attendees will have the opportunity to engage with Father Brown in a Q&A session following his talk.
The public as well as staff and students of Rend Lake College are invited to participate in this event. This is a great opportunity to gain a new perspective and to be part of a meaningful discussion on the power of history and its impact on our lives.
"Black people and our culture represent one of the foundational pillars of the United States of America," said Rend Lake College's Learning Enhancement and CTE Success Center Coordinator Dr. Kirk Rhodes. "As our nation, and society evolve, so too does the dynamic diaspora of Africana lives, stories, and contributions. Father Brown leads the Africana Studies Department at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, which was created in 1968, and represents an important field of study (SIU, 2023). Human life as we know it started on the continent of Africa. Thus, studying structures, systems, and the influences from whence we came as a species is sure to elucidate new epiphanies of understanding that might help us empathize with one another as Americans and humans in a more meaningful way."
For more information about this event, please contact Dr. Kirk Rhodes at rhodesk@rlc.edu.
About Father Joseph A. Brown S.J. PhD:
Joseph A. Brown, S. J., Ph.D. a native of East St. Louis, Illinois, is a Catholic priest with an extensive academic and pastoral career. When he graduated from St. Louis University with the BA in Philosophy, he attended Johns Hopkins University, where he gained a Master's Degree in Creative Writing. After his ordination to the priesthood (1972) he taught Theater and Poetry at Creighton University for several years (eventually becoming artist-in-residence in 1978). Later, after receiving both the Master's degree in Afro-American Studies and the Ph.D. in American Studies from Yale University, Fr. Brown taught at the University of Virginia and at Xavier University in New Orleans.
Presently he is a Professor in the Department of Africana Studies at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale.
In the Fall of 2009, he was the holder of the MacLean Chair of Jesuit Studies in the College of Arts and Sciences at St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia. During his fall semester residency, he was a member of the SJU Department of English. Beginning in 2014, Joseph A. Brown, SJ; Ph. D., became the founding Chair of the 1917 Centennial Commission & Cultural Initiative, Inc. The Commission which coordinates activities commemorating the 1917 East St. Louis Race Riots, bringing to light the circumstances and aftermath of the bloody pogrom which was one of the most significant examples of domestic terrorism in U. S. history. He is the author of “The Sankofa Muse.” https://sankofamuse.blogspot.com/