Slavery and Its Legacies at Emory University - 10/18 lecture, Jones Room

In the excitement about the visit of the Dalai Lama, an important talk in the Jones Room on the history of slavery at Emory may have been overlooked-- "Slavery and Its Legacies at Emory University: Reflections on History and Accountability" Monday, October 18, 2010, 3:30 – 5pm. 

The speaker is Dr. Mark Auslander, author of "Dreams Deferred": African Americans in the History of old Emory “ in the very recent Emory history, Where Courageous Inquiry Leads: The Emerging Life of Emory University edited by Gary Hauk and Sally Wolff King.

 In 2001 Dr. Auslander and his Emory at Oxford class began an exploration of the Oxford Historic Cemetery, burial place of many early Emory leaders, the famous slave “Miss Kitty,” as well as other slaves connected with Emory and the local area. The results of this and Dr. Auslander’s later research are described by Gary Hauk as “stunning” and they are. After reading Dr Auslander’s article on the same topic in Southern Spaces (http://www.southernspaces.org/2010/other-side-paradise-glimpsing-slavery-universitys-utopian-landscapes) , my older daughter and I went down to visit the cemetery this past summer to see for ourselves. This eventually led both my daughters to write papers on slavery at Emory. I think you will be as fascinated and shocked as they have been.

 This talk is sponsored by the President’s Commission on Race and Ethnicity. If you have the time, I encourage you to attend. --Liz McBride