Ohio University’s department of history will be hosting its 38th Annual Costa Lecture that will feature Peniel Joseph discussing his scholarship on the current Black Lives Matter movement.
Last year, Ohio University students attempted to combat the topics of social injustice and police brutality through protests and campus conversations.
This year, the OU department of history hopes to continue the local discussion in its Costa Lecture, “Reimagining the Black Power Movement in the Age of Obama and Black Lives Matter.”
The department of history will host its 38th Annual Costa Lecture in Galbreath Chapel at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday. This year's speaker will be Peniel Joseph, a history professor and writer from Tufts University near Boston, Massachusetts.
Joseph will discuss the topic of black power studies while attributing his work to focus on the current racial challenges and gains that African-Americans have faced during President Barack Obama’s terms.
D’Asia Leathers, a sophomore studying broadcast journalism, did not know the event was going to occur, but was eager to go after researching the speaker’s scholarship.
"I know a lot of it has been triggered because of police brutality and violence," Leathers said. "It will just be interesting to see what he has to say about it."
Rasheedah Beatty, a freshman studying journalism, said that continuing the conversation meant something different to her.
"It's obviously very relevant and very important, but I feel like sometimes we reduce it to just a hashtag," Beatty said. "Every time someone gets killed everyone is like hashtag BLM. This has to stop, but nobody is taking the time to be progressive."
Beatty said white privilege is also something that needs to be recognized.
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"I feel as though the conversation needs to happen instead of acting like it doesn't exist," said Beatty.
Mariana Dantas, an associate professor of history, said students often neglect these important discussions because it doesn’t happen here in Athens.
“It’s a national reality and OU’s campus can sometimes be a bubble when it comes to these issues,” Dantas said. “We shouldn’t insulate ourselves from important and critical issues.”
Warren Tucker, an Athens resident, believes it's a conversation that is essential to natives and students.
"I've been profiled in the neighborhood I was in. I was going for an evening walk late at night, but when the police saw me walking he came toward me instead of the white couple," Tucker said. "I don't know how bad it is on the campus, but in some of the communities there is an issue with that."
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