Join the New Jersey Historical Commission for a lecture and reception that is free and open to the public. The 46th Annual Marion Thompson Wright Lecture Series will run from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on the topic Beyond Time: Ancient Africa, History, and the Black Imagination at the Paul Robeson Campus Center at Rutgers University-Newark on February 21. A reception will be held immediately after the lecture series at the Newark Museum of Art, featuring the Bradford Hayes Quartet.
Dr. Esailama G. Artry-Diouf, Dr. Nnedi Okorafor, and Dr. Nwando Achebe will explore history, narrative, and the enduring impact of African and African diasporic voices.
The Marion Thompson Wright (MTW) Lecture Series honors the life and legacy of East Orange native and historian Dr. Marion Thompson Wright (1902-1962). Community members, scholars, and activists will reflect on Africa's vibrant history before European contact. They will reflect on some of the foundational elements of ancient African history, while also considering ways in which African-descended people around the world imagine the continent's past to fortify their visions for the future.
The African American History Program champions and partners with universities, historical societies, schools, and other institutions, groups, and individuals in a collaborative statewide effort to develop African American history in New Jersey. The program also stewards the New Jersey Black Heritage Trail.
Registration starts at 9 a.m. and the lecture series starts at 9:30 a.m. A full lunch will be available for $10 at the Paul Robeson Cafeteria.
Attendees can participate in person or online by registering in advance for the program.