GOOD NEWS: College of Charleston to host race, social justice series

Three nationally-known speakers are scheduled to present in a new Race and Social justice Initiative 2016 Event Series at the College of Charleston.

Speakers include education activist Marion Wright Edelman, social justice advocate Bryan Stevenson and journalist Ta-Nehisi Coates. The program series will feature several nationally known thought leaders discussing issues surrounding race and social justice in the Charleston area and throughout the nation.

The Race and Social Justice Initiative is a collaborative effort led by the Avery Research Center for African American History and Culture, Addlestone Library, the African American Studies Program, and the Lowcountry Digital History Initiative (LDHI). The series is made possible by a major grant from Google, with additional funding and outreach support from various community partners.

March 1, 2016, 6:30 p.m.: Marion Wright Edelman, author and president of the Children’s Defense Fund, will discuss her work as a civil rights activist and advocate for disadvantaged Americans. Edelman will be introduced by former N.C. Sen. Malcolm Graham, the brother of Cynthia Graham Hurd, a local librarian who was one of the victims of the mass shooting at the Emanuel AME Church. Edelman was one of her favorite authors.

March 31, 2016, 6 p.m.: Bryan Stevenson, the executive director of the Equal Justice Initiative, will deliver a lecture entitled, “American Injustice: Mercy, Humanity and Making a Difference.” He will also sign copies of his recent publication, Just Mercy (2015). This memoir documents his groundbreaking work as a lawyer challenging the American justice system and mass incarceration.

Oct. 18, 2016, 6:30 p.m.: Renowned author and journalist Ta-Nehisi Coates will deliver a lecture entitled “A Deeper Black: Race in America.” His most recent publication, Between the World and Me, received the National Book Award for 2015, and he was also the recipient of the 2015 MacArthur “Genius Grant” Fellowship.

The series will be held at the College of Charleston’s Sottile Theatre at 44 George Street. All programs are free and open to the public.

Also in Good News:

“Justice riders” at a Sunday rally at the College of Charleston.

Fired up. More than 100 union and low-wage workers rallied Sunday at the College of Charleston to support passage of a $15 per hour minimum wage. Publisher Andy Brack backed the proposal last week in a column on Statehouse Report. Read it here.

S.C. Federal’s scholarship competition. Three students will share $7,500 in scholarship money from South Carolina Federal Credit Union’s 6^th annual smpl. Scholarship Competition. The program provides financial education and community engagement opportunities for students from 15 to 25 years of age. Applications are due March 12, 2016. Learn about the scholarship here.

Charleston Comedy Festival. Get ready to laugh Jan. 20-23 when comedians flood the Holy City during this festival. Among those taking the stage at the Sottile Theatre in Charleston are Matt Jones (Jan. 21), Bridget Everett (Jan 22), Todd Barry (Jan. 23) and T.J. Miller (Jan. 23). Click here for ticket and more information.

Charleston Jazz Festival. The second annual Charleston Jazz Festival will offer three days of tantalizing performances starting January 22 for award-winning artists including Grammy winners Diane Schuur and Arturo Sandoval. Events will be in multiple locations in downtown Charleston, including Gaillard Performance Hall, the Sottile Theatre, Woolfe Street Playhouse and Barsa restaurant. It will include a Jan. 24 performance at 4:15 p.m. of the Charleston County School of the Arts Jazz Ensemble.