LOUISVILLE, Ky.- A prominent philosophical scholar will examine the impact of race relations in America in a free, public lecture March 5 at the University of Louisville.
Dr. Cornel West, professor of Afro-American studies and philosophy of religion at Harvard University, will be the guest speaker at the inaugural John Dewey Distinguished Lecture at 8 p.m. in the U of L School of Music auditorium. Using his book “Race Matters” as a basis for the lecture, West will address the role education plays in challenging racial problems in the United States.
The event will follow a reception from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. in the University Club Ballroom.
West has written many articles and 15 books regarding the strengths of racial and cultural diversity in politics, economics, ethics and spirituality. He has a bachelor of arts degree from Harvard University and a master of arts degree and doctorate in philosophy from Princeton University. He is one of 14 professors and one of the first African-American scholars to be appointed university professor, Harvard’s highest faculty post.
U of L’s School of Education created the John Dewey Distinguished Lecture Series to promote scholarly thinking and to expose students to high-profile professionals in the field of education.
In addition to the School of Education, the lecture is sponsored by the College of Arts and Sciences, the Commission on Diversity and Racial Equality, the Women’s Center and the University Diversity Committee.
For more information, call Debbie Voltz, acting director of the Dewey Lecture Series, at (502) 852-0561.