The Bob Graham Center for Public Service provides a wide variety of programs for students and the larger public on topics related to public service, public leadership and civic engagement.
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Book Talk: John Lewis: In Search of the Beloved Community by Ray Arsenault
October 14, 2024 @ 5:30 pm - 7:15 pm
Raymond Arsenault’s John Lewis: In Search of the Beloved Community documents the life of the ‘Conscience of Congress,’ Civil Rights activist and long-time Congressman John Lewis. Join us for Arsenault’s public talk, book signing and free reception.
Join the Bob Graham Center and the Rothman Family Chair in the Humanities (UF Department of History) on October 14 beginning at 5:30 pm for a free public lecture by historian Raymond Arsenault, author of the first full-length biography of civil rights leader John Lewis, John Lewis: In Search of the Beloved Community.
Arsenault chronicles Lewis’s journey from rural Alabama to Congress, highlighting his role in key moments like the 1965 Selma march and his lifelong dedication to nonviolent activism.
Lewis’s legacy of “good trouble” continues to inspire social justice movements today.
Attendees are invited to the author’s book signing and a free public reception immediately following the lecture.
About the Author
Raymond Arsenault is the John Hope Franklin Professor of Southern History (emeritus) at the University of South Florida, specializing in the political, social, and civil rights history of the American South. He has taught internationally, served as president of the ACLU of Florida, and authored several acclaimed books, including Freedom Riders. Arsenault has received numerous awards for his work in civil rights and social justice.
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