Carolyn Finney explores the complex relationship of African Americans to nature and environmentalism in the Lawrence University Spoerl Lecture Series address “Radical Presence: Black Faces, White Spaces & Other Stories of Possibility.” The presentation, Thursday, May 12 at 7 p.m. in Thomas Steitz Hall of Science 102, is free and open to the public.
The talk is based on Finney’s 2014 book “Black Faces, White Spaces: Reimagining the Relationship of African Americans to the Great Outdoors,” in which she held “green” conversations with black people from around the country. Using film, literature and popular culture, as well as historical moments, including the establishment of the Wilderness Act in 1964 and the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Finney exposes the perceived and real ways nature and the environment are racialized in America.
Finney, assistant professor of geography at the University of Kentucky, is a member of the U.S. National Parks Advisory Board, working to assist the park service engage in relations with diverse communities.
About Lawrence University
Founded in 1847, Lawrence University uniquely integrates a college of liberal arts and sciences with a nationally recognized conservatory of music, both devoted exclusively to undergraduate education. It was selected for inclusion in the book “Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About College” and Fiske’s Guide to Colleges 2016. Engaged learning, the development of multiple interests and community outreach are central to the Lawrence experience. Lawrence draws its 1,500 students from nearly every state and more than 50 countries.
