A Democracy that … Listens?? Philosophy Slam Instructor Jeremiah Carter, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
This presentation is an exhibition in the study of African American autobiography and memoir, examining James Weldon Johnson’ s( Jacksonville native son) wide-ranging career through a central question that moves across his novel, poems, editorials, and public leadership, yet becomes most visible after engaging Along this Way( 1933), his autobiography: how does a democracy learn to listen? Drawing on his early experiences in Jacksonville, his later work for the New York Age, and his national investigations for the NAACP, I argue that Johnson developed a philosophy of public listening that rivals his better-known literary achievements. Across his fiction, poetry, essays, journalism, and memoir, Johnson treated sound— voices, songs, and collective declarations— as a means of shaping understanding in moments of public strain. He explored how auditory experience could repair misinformation, strengthen communal insight, and foster a more alert civic imagination. Taken together, Johnson’ s body of work reveals a creator who understood listening as both an artistic practice and a cornerstone of democratic life.
Tuesday, February 17 at 7:30 PM RIVER HOUSE
Adapting to Career Changes
Erik Henderson, JU geography alumnus ' 00, will discuss how to maintain a consistent career path through changing and sometimes disruptive employment opportunities.
Wednesday, February 18 at 12:30 PM STEAM INSTITUTE
The Rarest of the Rare: Fire Ecology, Longterm Demography, and Conservation of the Endangered Plants of the Lake Wales Ridge in Central Florida
Featuring Sterling Heron, postdoc at Archbold Biological Station
Fire drives regeneration in ecosystems worldwide, especially in Florida’ s fire-dependent scrub habitat. Research at Archbold Biological Station reveals how rare Lake Wales Ridge plants such as Florida Ziziphus and perforate reindeer lichen have evolved with fire. These findings guide conservation practices including prescribed burns and reintroductions to sustain Florida’ s rarest species.
Thursday, February 19 at 12:30 PM REID AUDITORIUM
www. ju. edu / steincollege 7