В Флоридском колледже откроется серия лекций о морских приключениях, истории штата и ритм-н-блюзе

Florida Southern lecture series features sea adventure, R&B and more The Florida Lecture Series at Florida Southern College opens Sept. 17 with a lineup of six speakers. The series, presented by the Lawton M. Chiles Center for Florida, begins with an address from James M. Denham, director of the program and a history professor at FSC in Lakeland. Denham will draw from his latest book, "Scourge of the Caribbean: Charles E. Hawkins, Sailor of Three Republics." The book tells the swashbuckling tale of Hawkins' life, legend and revolutionary adventures in Florida, Texas, Mexico and beyond and reflects on what they can tell us about the Age of Sail in the greater Caribbean, according to a news release. Lillian Guerra will appear Oct. 1 to deliver a lecture on "Florida and Cuba: 1950s to the Present." Guerra, a professor of history at the University of Florida, will illuminate the myriad ties between our state and Cuba and reflect upon the current troubled state of affairs on the island, the release said. On Nov. 19, Jody Baxter Noll will discuss the events documented in his work "The 1968 Florida Teachers Strike," a history of a pivotal moment in Florida politics and the development of public sector unionism. Noll is a lecturer at Georgia State University. Daniel Rivero, a reporter and producer with WLRN Public Media in Miami, will appear Jan. 14 to discuss "Just Freedom: Insider Florida's Decades-Long Voting Rights Battle." Rivero's work traces the long struggle to win Amendment 4 to the Florida Constitution, which expanded voting rights to those with past felony convictions, and examines the current obstacles that have stalled its full implementation, the release said. Billy C. Wirtz, a musician and radio personality, will provide the program "Shake, Rattle N' Roll: Florida's Iconic Rhythm and Blues Artists and their Music" on Feb. 18. The presentation will include a wide-ranging night of storytelling and musical performance honoring Florida's R&B tradition. Evan P. Bennett, a professor of history at Florida Atlantic University, will provide the closing lecture on March 4. Bennett will expand on his work "Tampa Bay: The Story of an Estuary and its People," which explores the human histories of the state's largest open water estuary. The work considers how Floridians can take the lessons from the past to think about future of Florida's coasts, the release said. All lectures will start at 7 p.m. in the Branscomb building at Florida Southern College. The talks are free and open to the public. Gary White can be reached at [email protected] or 863-802-7518. Follow on X @garywhite13. This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Florida Southern lecture series features sea adventure, R&B and more