Social justice expert to speak at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College

TIFTON — Rajni Shankar-Brown will be the featured speaker at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College on Nov. 7 at the college’s Howard Auditorium. The event is sponsored by ABAC’s African-American Male Initiative, the Helping Professions Association, and the International Student Association. The event will begin at 6 p.m.

Shakar-Brown is a professor at Stetson University and is considered one of the most prominent educational scholars in social justice in the country as well as internationally. She has spoken on the subject around the world and won numerous awards for her innovative leadership and ongoing community engagement projects.

“Dr. Shankar-Brown exemplifies the epitome of human and civil rights activist work,” Jewrell Rivers, a professor in ABAC’s School of Arts and Sciences and the advisor for the college’s AAMI chapter, said. “She will raise our awareness of the prevalence of poverty and homelessness in rural communities, while providing us with a creative, artistic model for social advocacy. Her presentation will positively impact ABAC and our rural community.”

Shankar-Brown has served as a strategic partner of the United Nations, the equity co-lead for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, a lead steering member of the National Environmental Justice Institute, and was the Past President of the National Coalition for the Homeless board.

“She was the first woman of color to hold that position and the first to be elected for two consecutive terms,” Rivers said. “She is in high demand as a speaker, and we are fortunate to have someone with her passion on this subject as our guest at ABAC.”

Aside from the presentation, Shankar-Brown also will speak to classes and will be the guest of honor at a luncheon to give students, faculty, and administrators a chance to meet her informally. The ISA will also host a reception before the lecture.

The presentation is free and open to the public. For more information about the lecture, contact Rivers at [email protected].

Special Photo: ABAC