Howard Community College is hosting the new Bauder Lecture virtually and free of charge on Thursday, as well as a weekly Social Sciences Lecture series.
“Both are events of the times,” said Elizabeth Homan, executive director, public relations and marketing for Howard Community College. “You will have the opportunity for free to engage with faculty and authors and have dialogue with them. “
The new Bauder Lecture will feature Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah, author of “Friday Black,” a collection of 12 short stories, that was selected as the chosen book for the 2020-21 academic school year by the Howard County Book Connection committee.
A partnership between Howard Community College and the Howard County Poetry and Literature Society, the Howard County Book Connection Committee started the chosen book program during the 2004-05 school year to encourage both the college and county communities to read and participate in related activities together, organizers said. Previous selected chosen books have been “The Kite Runner” by Khaled Hosseini and “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks” by Rebecca Skloot.
” ‘Friday Black’ is so contemporary. It speaks so closely to issues everyone is dealing with right now,” said Tara Hart, an HCC professor and member of Howard County Poetry and Literature Society. “It is not a book for the faint-hearted. It was a very bold choice.”
The Bauder Lecture, made possible by a grant from Dr. Lillian Bauder, a Columbia resident, will feature Adjei-Brenyah discussing his work followed by a talk with Tope Folarin, a writer based in Washington, D.C., who will act as emcee.
“I can’t do justice to her,” Hart said of Bauder. “She moved to Columbia from Detroit where she had started a similar lecture. She wanted to do something here.”
Bauder’s grant also provides funds for two student awards, the Don Bauder awards, named in memory of her husband.
“It is refreshing to have the endowment from her,” said Nana Owusu-Nkwantabisa, director at Howard Community College Library. “It adds a whole different dimension. It’s great.”
Now in its third year, the Social Sciences Lecture Series features college faculty from the Social Sciences and Teacher Education Division speaking each Tuesday through March at 6 p.m. Each speaker will discuss an area of their expertise before participating in a question and answer session.
“It covers all social sciences,” Homan said. “All are very timely with what is going on in the world today. It is a way to showcase our faculty.”
On Tuesday, the free series continues with Michael Heffren, professor of social sciences, discussing “What’s Going On? American Politics 1970-2020” followed by a lecture about the Fourth Amendment on March 23 by Evelyn Del Rosario, assistant professor of criminal justice. Eric Clark, assistant professor of criminal justice, will end the series on March 23 with discussion about “De-escalation Techniques From Behind the Wall.”
“This is the first time people can stay home and watch,” Homan said. “The first lectures have been well received.”
For information on the Bauder Lecture, go to howardcc.edu/bauderlecture.
For information on the Social Sciences Lecture Series, go to howardcc.edu/lectureseries.
