Southern Miss Spring 2016 University Forum Begins Feb. 16
Tue, 02/02/2016 - 12:03pm | By: David Tisdale
They've forged change with both the written word and direct action, and they'll share the story of how they did it during The University of Southern Mississippi's spring 2016 University Forum series.
Jerry Mitchell, an award-winning journalist with the Jackson, Miss. Clarion Ledger known internationally for his work that has led to justice for murdered civil rights leaders; Lilly Ledbetter, who put gender pay inequity in the spotlight and inspired legislation to address it; and Barbara Ehrenreich, a New York Times best-selling author whose work has exposed corporate excess and the economic challenges faced by the middle class, all make up another star-studded lineup of speakers for the popular, long-running USM program.
University Forum is presented by the Southern Miss Honors College and is free and open to the public. Each spring 2016 Forum event will be held at Bennett Auditorium on the Hattiesburg campus. The schedule is as follows:
*Jerry Mitchell, “Civil Rights Cold Cases,” Tuesday, Feb. 16, 6:30 p.m., Bennett Auditorium.
* Lilly Ledbetter, “Grace and Grit,” Tuesday, March 1, 6:30 p.m., Bennett Auditorium
* Barbara Ehrenreich, “An Evening with Barbara Ehrenreich,” Tuesday, April 12, 6:30 p.m., Bennett Auditorium
“The spring 2016 University Forum features three of America's most influential critics. Critics like Mitchell, Ledbetter and Ehrenreich are essential for our democracy, as they speak for all citizens and keep corporations and government honest,” said Dr. Andrew Haley, associate professor of history and director of University Forum for 2015-2016.
“As a journalist for The Clarion-Ledger, Jerry Mitchell ensured that those who committed racially motivated crimes committed during the Civil Rights era were punished. When she discovered that Goodyear was paying her significantly less than her male coworkers, Lilly Ledbetter helped to pass a law to protect women from pay discrimination,” Haley said.
“And, during her 40 years as a journalist and activist, Barbara Ehrenreich has become the nation's conscience, ferreting out injustice and holding pharmaceutical companies, self-help gurus, and politicians responsible for their actions.”
For more information about University Forum, visit http://www.usm.edu/honors/university-forum.