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Harriet Tubman sculpture on the SU Campus
Harriet Tubman sculpture on the Salisbury University Campus

'1619-2019: 400 Years of Resilience' Series Announced at SU

SALISBURY, MD---This fall Salisbury University recognizes a significant event in U.S. history with “1619-2019: 400 Years of Resilience.”

The series, which begins with a Healing Day National Bell Ringing event Sunday, August 25 in Red Square, reflects on the inception of the enslavement of people of African descent in the U.S and its effects.

The bells of the Brown and Church Carillon will toll at 3 p.m., joining others gathered around the nation, in an effort spearheaded by the National Park Service.

Upcoming events in the series include:

Tuesday, September 17 - A Celebration of Local Heroes Harriet Tubman and Frederick Douglass: Remarks, Praise and Reflection: At this formal kick-off for the 1619-2019 events, remarks will begin at 6 p.m. at the Harriet Tubman Sculpture outside Conway Hall at followed by a reception at 7 p.m. in the Great Hall of Holloway Hall. In case of rain, the event will be held in the Great Hall of Holloway Hall.

Thursday, September 26 - Myne Owne Ground: Race and Freedom on Virginia’s Eastern Shore: This panel discussion on Stephen Innes’ book of the same name is 7 p.m. in the Guerrieri Academic Commons Assembly Hall and features Drs. Joseph Venosa, associate professor of history, and Clara Small, professor emerita of history. A reception follows. Photo Gallery

Thursday, October 17 – “The Institutionalization of Slavery and Its Legacy in the U.S.”: Mary Elliott, curator at the National Museum of African American History and Culture, speaks in the Wicomico Room of the Guerrieri Student Union at 7 p.m. Her presentation is sponsored by Multicultural Student Services office. A reception follows. Photo Gallery

October 24-25 – Singers Showcase – “From Ship to Shore: Celebrating 400 Years of Human Resilience Through Music”: Dr. John Wesley Wright, associate professor of music, and award-winning vocalists perform at 7:30 p.m. in the Great Hall of Holloway Hall. The concert features work songs, spirituals, operatic arias, Broadway renditions and other musical genres influenced by or borne out of the institution of slavery. A reception follows. Photo Gallery

Thursday, November 7 – A Bound Woman Is a Dangerous Thing: The Incarceration of African American Women from Harriet Tubman to Sandra Bland: Poet DaMaris Hill, author of \Vi-z?-b?l\\Teks-ch?rs\ (Visible Textures), reads from and discusses her work at 7 p.m. in the Worcester Room in the Commons. A reception follows.

Tuesday, November 12: 13th Netflix Documentary Screening: Beginning at 7 p.m. in Perdue Hall Room 156, the film by director Ava Duvernay explores the “intersection of race, justice and mass incarceration in the U.S.” Its title comes from the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which abolished slavery. After the screening Drs. Jennifer Jewell and Rebecca Anthony, of the Social Work Department, lead a panel discussion on the film with formerly incarcerated individuals and those involved in the criminal justice system. A reception follows.

Wednesday, December 4: “Slave Narratives: The Stories We Know and Those We Should”: John Ernest, University of Delaware Judge Hugh M. Morris Professor of English, speaks at 7 p.m. in Conway Hall Room 153. A reception follows.

All events are free and the public is invited. For more information call 410-543-6030 or visit the 400 Years of Resilience website.