events

The Department of History and Political Science is hosting its annual lecture series in honor of Black History Month. The series features lectures that are free and open to the public.

The first lecture, titled “From Slavery to Segregation: Reckoning with White Supremacy in the American South,” was held on February 11.

On Tuesday, Feb. 18, at 11 a.m. in the Student Union Theatre, Ashley Tarleton of the Hammond Downtown Development District will present “An Ambiguous Estate in Life: Free People of Color in Louisiana’s Rural Florida Parishes.”

“Most studies of Louisiana’s free people of color center on New Orleans or other regions outside of the Florida Parishes,” said Department Head of History and Political Science Bill Robison. “Here, however, Ashley Tarleton, Southeastern alumna and former research assistant in the Center for Southeast Louisiana Studies, will focus on East Baton Rouge, East and West Feliciana, St. Helena, Livingston, Washington, and St. Tammany parishes (Tangipahoa was not established until 1869), using New Orleans as a comparative base to show how various global influences shaped the Florida Parishes and the policies of successive regimes affected the growth, experiences, and status of free communities of color there.”

“Barack Obama and Civil War Memory,” the final lecture of the series, is scheduled for Wednesday, Feb. 26, at 11 a.m., in the Student Union Theatre. It will be given by retired LSU History Professor Gaines Foster.

“The Civil War Sesquicentennial occurred with the first African-American President of the United States in office. He faced criticism for continuing the tradition of laying a Memorial Day wreath on the Confederate Monument in Arlington National Cemetery and for not attending the Gettysburg Address anniversary celebration,” said Robison. “Dr. Foster will argue that his response reflected his interpretation of the Civil War’s meaning, one rooted in traditional African American memory and his personal fascination with Abraham Lincoln, but also his larger vision of the meaning of American history.”

For more information about Southeastern’s Black History Month lecture series, contact Robison at 985-549-2109 or wrobison@southeastern.edu.

Southeastern is now in its 100th year! To commemorate this auspicious occasion, the university kicked off the year-long Centennial celebration on October 1.

Guest speakers, including Louisiana’s Commissioner of Higher Education Kim Hunter Reed and Parish President Robbie Miller, reflected on the importance of Southeastern and this monumental milestone, and alumna Robin Roberts made a surprise video appearance to announce Southeastern’s $100 million fundraising campaign. During the presentation, Southeastern’s Centennial painting by artist Becky Fos was also unveiled, as was the first installment of a new video series on Southeastern’s history and a trailer for the Centennial. Attendees additionally enjoyed exclusive giveaway items, birthday cake, and an opportunity to be the first to sign Southeastern’s Centennial Signature Book.

“Opening its doors on Sept. 14, 1925, Southeastern Louisiana University celebrates a century of impact! Awarding over 95,000 degrees since its inception, our beloved university has strengthened communities, built economies, and advanced generational prosperity for families throughout Southeast Louisiana, our nation, and across the globe,” said Southeastern President William S. Wainwright.

Through 2025, Southeastern will offer a wide array of opportunities to get involved with the celebration. Everyone is encouraged to log their volunteer hours to reach 100 collective weeks of volunteerism, area restaurant partners will offer signature 100th anniversary dishes or drinks, special lectures and performances will be held during the fall 2025 Centennial Fanfare, and so much more. At most events, attendees will have the opportunity to sign their name in the Centennial Signature Book, which will be archived for future generations to cherish.

For more information about current and upcoming Centennial programs and events, visit southeastern.edu/100. To learn more about the fundraising campaign, visit southeastern.edu/get-there-together.