April 6, 2010

Wayne Law, Damon J. Keith Center for Civil Rights to host 'Black Classicists, Black Lawyers and Some Detroit Connections,' April 13

DETROIT (April 6, 2010) – Wayne State University Law School and the Damon J. Keith Center for Civil Rights are pleased to host a lecture by Wayne State University Professor Michele Valerie Ronnick titled "Black Classicists, Black Lawyers and Some Detroit Connections" from 12:15 – 1:15 p.m. on Tuesday, April 13, 2010, in the Law School’s Spencer M. Partrich Auditorium.

A renowned expert in WSU’s Department of Classical and Modern Languages, Literatures and Cultures in the university’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Professor Ronnick will address the lives and work of William Sanders Scarborough, Richard T. Greener, D. Augustus Straker, and Dr. William Lewis Bulkley and his son-in-law John Dancy Campbell, Jr.

"The Keith Collection is committed to the study and propagation of African American Legal History," said Wayne Law Professor and Director of the Keith Center for Civil Rights Peter Hammer. "We are fortunate to have someone with the stature of Professor Ronnick as one of our featured speakers. Today’s lawyers have much to learn from the pioneering efforts of those who have come before us.”

Professor Ronnick has taught at WSU for 17 years. She is the president of the Classical Association of the Middle West and South as well as a member of a large number of professional organizations including the American Association for Neo-Latin Studies, the American Classical League, the American Philological Association, the Southern Conference on African American Studies and the College Language Association. She has received numerous honors and awards including the President’s Award for Excellence in Teaching at WSU in 1998.

Professor Ronnick earned a M.S.L.S. from Florida State University-Tallahassee, a M.A. from the University of Florida-Gainesville and a Ph.D. from Boston University.

This event is free and open to the public. Lunch will be served. Parking is available in Structure #1 for $4.25 across from the Law School on West Palmer Street. Click here for directions.

For more information about this event, please contact Holly Hughes at (313) 577-3620 or hhughes@wayne.edu.

The Damon J. Keith Center for Civil Rights
The Hon. Damon J. Keith’s life has been dedicated to fighting for justice and opportunity. The Keith Center, made possible through generous gifts from individuals, corporations and foundations, will allow that work to continue at Wayne Law. The Center will help the Law School attract and retain outstanding students, support and strengthen its faculty, enhance programming, and promote civil rights in one of the most culturally rich and diverse cities in the United States.

Wayne State University is a premier urban research university offering more than 350 academic programs through 13 schools and colleges to nearly 32,000 students.

For more information on Wayne State University Law School, visit law.wayne.edu.