Lifelong Learning Summer Series - 2021

An outdoor flower bed with purple and white tulips
   

Frederick Douglass: Author, Abolitionist, Activist

Frederick Douglass Thursday, June 10, 6:30–8:30 p.m. EDT
Registration: $10

The United States has come a long way since Frederick Douglass escaped slavery, wrote his story, and became a leading abolitionist; however, recent tragedies and rhetoric show there is still much work to be done. 

In this lecture, we will explore the life and work of one of America’s greatest voices for freedom, equality, and education—not only for African Americans, but also for others facing oppression in the 19th century. We will see some of the trials and triumphs of his life as a slave, sample some brilliant and moving passages from his slave narrative, explore his work as a newspaper editor and activist, and consider takeaways that we can use to make a better, more inclusive America in our own day.

About the lecturer

Mark Canada Mark Canada, BA’89, is professor of English and executive vice chancellor for academic affairs at Indiana University Kokomo, where he leads KEY, the campus’s signature experiential-learning initiative. 

He has authored seven books, including: Audible Originals What Would Franklin Do? (forthcoming) and Edgar Allan Poe: Master of Horror; Thomas Wolfe Remembered; Introduction to Information Literacy for Students; and Literature and Journalism in Antebellum America. 

His articles on Franklin, Poe, Henry David Thoreau, Rebecca Harding Davis, Theodore Dreiser, student success, “fake news,” and other topics have appeared in The Conversation, The Chronicle of Higher Education, The Academic Minute, Southern Cultures, American Literary Realism, Edgar Allan Poe in Context, and other outlets.  More information about Canada is available at www.markcanada.info.

Photo Credit: U.S. National Archives