Learotha Williams Jr., a scholar of African American, Civil War and Reconstruction, and public history at Tennessee State University, will deliver the first in a series of Dean’s Lectures on Race and Discrimination at Vanderbilt Law School on Thursday, March 3, at 12:30 a.m. in Flynn Auditorium.
Professor Williams has worked as a historic sites specialist for the State of Florida, acted as coordinator for the African American Studies Program at Armstrong Atlantic State University, and served as trustee of the Historic Savannah Foundation in Savannah, Georgia. He also spearheads the North Nashville Heritage Project, an effort that seeks to encourage a greater understanding of the history of North Nashville, including Jefferson Street and its historic relationship to the greater Nashville community.
Williams has helped to create experiential education examining Nashville and Tennessee’s significance as part of the history of slavery, the Civil War and the fight for civil rights. He has been instrumental in advocating for the creation of historical markers around Nashville, such as one noting the site of the old slave market in the downtown area. He is the co-editor of I’ll Take You There: Exploring Nashville’s Social Justice Sites.
Williams holds a Ph.D. in African American history from Florida State University, where he also earned his M.A. and B.A. in history, focusing on African American studies.
The lecture will be delivered via Zoom. Members of the VLS community are encouraged to attend in person. Lunch will be available on a first-come-first-served basis.