“Immanuel: A Symposium” will take place at JCSM on the afternoon before the opening of Leo Twiggs: Requiem for Mother Emanuel. It will provide the opportunity to discuss the African American church\, and its historical and contemporary role as both sanctuary and location for civic and political activism. Taking the exhibition as point of departure\, the objective of the symposium will be to explore the history of the black church in the United States\, and to open a discussion about the historical intersections between the Christian conversion of enslaved Africans\, and the metaphorical and real church as location and catalyst for spiritual and political redemption.
“Immanuel\,” the Hebrew word for “God is with us\,” gave Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church its name\, and the concept of “Immanuel” offers a powerful point of departure for both the artwork of Dr. Twiggs and the broader themes the symposium will explore. The symposium will consist of four talks and a panel discussion leading up to the opening artist talk. JCSM has been deliberate in choosing a scholar who can address the history of the African American church both nationally and in Alabama\, a scholar from Charleston\, and scholars from the local community.
SCHEDULE
12:15 P.M. PERFORMANCE
<p style=\'padding-left: 30px;\'>Auburn University’s Mosaic Theatre Company</p>
1 P.M. LECTURE
<p style=\'padding-left: 30px;\'>“Under Their Own Vine and Fig Tree: African Americans and the Church in Southern History\,” Dr. Richard Bailey\, Alabama historian and retired research specialist.</p>
2 P.M. LECTURE
<p style=\'padding-left: 30px;\'>“We Are Charleston\,” Dr. Bernard E. Powers Jr Professor of History\, College of Charleston</p>
BREAK
3 P.M. LECTURE
<p style=\'padding-left: 30px;\'>“‘The Most Segregated Hour in America’: Churches and Social Justice Across the Color Line\, from the Civil Rights Era to the Present\,” Dr. David Carter\, Associate Professor of History\, Auburn University\, and Dr. Johnny Green\, Assistant Vice President for Outreach in Student Affairs\, Auburn University</p>
PANEL DISCUSSION FOLLOWED BY BREAK
6 P.M. OPENING LECTURE AND RECEPTION
REGISTRATION
<p style=\'padding-left: 30px;\'>Please register at jcsm.auburn.edu. Seating is limited and available on a first come\, first served basis. For assistance\, call 334-844-3085. Symposium registrants will also need to R.S.V.P. for Dr. Twiggs opening lecture and the opening reception.</p>
