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Hasan Jeffries to Present During Juneteenth Recognition

Professor Hasan Jeffries, The Ohio State University

The College of Wooster will host a virtual discussion on Thursday, Jun. 17, at 7 p.m. as part of its Juneteenth celebration. The event is sponsored by Wooster’s Center for Diversity and Inclusion and will be moderated by Ivonne García, Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer. Hasan Jeffries, an associate professor of history at Ohio State University, will be leading the discussion. Those interested in attending the virtual discussion should check their email for the link.

Jeffries earned his B.A. in history from Morehouse College in 1994, followed by a Ph.D. in American history from Duke University in 2002 where he specialized in African American history. For the past eighteen years, Jeffries has been teaching Civil Rights and Black Power Movement classes at Ohio State University and has won several awards for his teaching, including the Ohio State University Alumni Award for Distinguished Teaching.

He authored the book Bloody Lowndes: Civil Rights and Black Power in Alabama’s Black Belt, as well as writing and narrating the 10-episode Audible original series Great Figures of the Civil Rights Movement released in Feb. of 2020. He was also the editor of the book Understanding and Teaching the Civil Rights Movement, which recieved the Harvey Robinson Prize from the American Historical Association.

Outside of his academic work, Jeffries also helps with several public history projects, which includes serving as the lead historian for a renovation of the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, Tennessee. He also hosts the podcast “Teaching Hard History: American Slavery,” produced by the Southern Poverty Law Center.

This discussion is part of a broader celebration for Juneteenth day, which occurs annually on June 19. Recognized as a College of Wooster holiday, Juneteenth celebrates when the news of the Emancipation Proclamation came to Texas on Jun. 19, 1865, thus marking the end of slavery in the United States. The Wooster community is encouraged to use this day for reflection and education on how to become better advocates and allies for those who experience racism and finding ways to address it. Community members can also attend the Juneteenth: History in Black and White event hosted by the Wooster-Orrville NAACP in Wooster Square on Jun. 19 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Posted in News on June 16, 2021.