Riklin Lecture and African American Philosophy Workshop bring public figures and young scholars to WSU

This fall, Wayne State's philosophy department will host a three-day event focused on African American philosophy.

On Oct. 5, Professor George Yancy of Emory University will deliver the 25th anniversary Seymour Riklin Memorial Lecture – an annual endowed lecture series that features philosophers whose work is of broad interest across the Humanities and for the general public.

Professor Yancy's lecture will focus on the topic of "African American Philosophy: Philosophical Reflection Under the weight of Anti-Blackness." Yancy is renowned for his work in African American philosophy, philosophy of race, and phenomenology of racial embodiment. Having authored over twenty books and 200 scholarly articles, Professor Yancy is considered one of the top 10 most influential philosophers of the past decade.

The Riklin Lecture will be followed by the department's first-ever Workshop in African American Philosophy on Oct. 6 and 7, which will feature eight young researchers from across the country who will present papers on topics at the intersection of Black studies and philosophy.

The workshop will also feature a keynote lecture from Professor Kristie Dotson of the University of Michigan. Dotson, one of the leading philosophers in the nation specializing in epistemology, metaphilosophy and feminist philosophy, with a concentration on women of color and Black feminisms.

The workshop will be co-sponsored by the African American Studies department and the Humanities Center.

The Riklin Lecture will take place at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 5 in Bernath Auditorium (located in the Undergraduate Library). It is free and open to the public, with a special invitation extended to alumni to attend.