Evelyn Higginbotham, chair of Harvard’s African and African American studies, speaks on “Rewriting African American History: The New ‘From Slavery to Freedom’ and the Legacy of John Hope Franklin” at The Claremont College’s twenty-seventh annual Sojourner Truth Lecture at 7:30 p.m., Feb. 16, in the Humanities Auditorium, Scripps College, 1030 Columbia Ave. The event is free and open to the public.
The Intercollegiate Department of Africana Studies at The Claremont Colleges invited Higginbotham to speak at this year’s lecture. Higginbotham co-authored the book “From Slavery to Freedom” with distinguished African American historian, the late John Hope Franklin. She also co-edited, with Harvard’s Henry Louis Gates Jr., the “African American National Biography,” a multi-volume reference work spotlighting African American history.
Established in 1983, the Sojourner Truth Lectureship honors the achievements of outstanding African American women. The Claremont Colleges sponsors this annual lecture series, which was conceived and administered by the faculty of the Intercollegiate Department of Africana Studies. Scripps College President Lori Bettison-Varga will host this year’s event.
Higginbotham earned a doctorate degree in American history from the University of Rochester. Before joining Harvard, she taught at Dartmouth, Princeton, New York University, and the University of Pennsylvania.
Established in 1969, the Intercollegiate Department of Africana Studies offers a rich program of multidisciplinary teaching and scholarship to students at The Claremont Colleges. Its mission is to examine the experiences of people of African heritage. For more information, call the Intercollegiate Department of Africana Studies at (909) 607-3070.