Mississippi University for Women’s spring Forum Series presented by the Gordy Honors College will feature civil rights activist Peggy Wallace Kennedy, daughter of Gov. George Wallace, who attended the university in the late 1960s as it was being integrated.
Sponsored by the Nell Peel Wolfe Lecture Series, Kennedy’s talk on Thursday, April 6 will be the final event in the school’s year-long commemoration of the 50th anniversary of its desegregation.
Earlier events
Jan. 26 — Earlier events in the series will focus on health and wellbeing, starting with a presentation Thursday by Dr. Caroline Payne-Purvis, assistant professor of health and kinesiology at The W, on the long-term effect of risk-taking behaviors in college. Payne-Purvis’ research focuses on alcohol and drug use, sexual behaviors and eating disorders among college students.
Feb. 9 — Award-winning singer-songwriter and mental health advocate Meg Hutchinson will discuss her journey with Bipolar I Disorder and how her illness has inspired transformation and greater wellness. Hutchinson has released eight albums, including the recent collection of live recordings “How Many Miles.” This event will be co-sponsored by the W Leadership Program and The W’s Active Minds mental health awareness group.
March 9 — The Series will screen the critically acclaimed documentary “Planetary,” a cross-continental visual journey that interweaves imagery from NASA Apollo missions with interviews with astronauts, scientists, writers, and spiritual leaders, asking viewers to consider how our worldview is deeply affecting life on earth.
March 23 — The Series welcomes Jeanie Thompson, award-winning author of seven volumes of poetry, who will read from her most recent book “The Myth of Water: Poems from the Life of Helen Keller” and discuss Keller’s journey from rural Alabama to the international stage while living with disability.
The Series will also feature senior Honors students’ research presentations Thursday, April 27 and Thursday, May 4.
All presentations are free and open to the community and begin at 6 p.m. in Nissan Auditorium, with the exception of Payne-Purvis’ talk, which will be held in Pope Banquet Room.
For more information, contact Kim Whitehead, director of the Honors College, at [email protected], 662-241-6850, or visit http://web.muw.edu/honors/forum.
Gordy Honors College Forum Series MUW
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 43 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.