FMU presents second year of Cultural Conversations series

FLORENCE, S.C. — Francis Marion University will host the second year of Cultural Conversations, a series of discussions regarding cultural and racial issues, beginning October 18.

Cultural Conversations, presented jointly with  the FMU African American Faculty Staff Coalition, features four events over the course of six months on various topics related to the subject surrounding cultural and racial matters. Each event will include a presentation followed by a question and answer session. 

The FMU Performing Arts Center in downtown Florence will be the site for all four events, each beginning at noon on their respective days. The event is open to members of the Francis Marion community and the general public.

The four discussions will include the legacy of slavery, political and class inequality, physical characteristics associated with race and their societal perceptions, as well as the differences between race and ethnicity.

Cultural Conversations kicks off Monday, Oct. 18, with a presentation titled “Slavery’s Legacy, Past and Future,” featuring FMU historians Dr. Erica Edwards and Dr. Louis Venters.

On Nov. 18, the second Cultural Conversation will be held featuring Dr. Jennifer Titanski-Hooper and Dr. Dillon Tatum, who will be speaking on the topic “Bordering Democracy: Racial and Class Inequality in Access to Political and Public Squares.”

On Tuesday, Feb. 22, 2022, Dr. Shayna Wrighten, Associate Professor of Biology and Coordinator of the African & African American Studies Program, will provide the third Cultural Conversation presentation, titled Hair Like Mine.

The fourth event will be held on Thursday, March 10, 2022, and will feature a presentation from FMU professor of Psychology, Dr. Teresa Herzog, titled “Development, race, and ethnicity: The differences known.”

To register, visit https://www.fmarion.edu/aafsc/. The presentations can be accessed online by video livestream on the Francis Marion University YouTube channel. Recordings may be watched after the events have concluded.