Speaker and discussion series continue Sunday afternoon via Zoom

A 25-minute video of a talk on “Black Freethinkers” originally delivered at the 2021 convention of the Freedom from Religion Foundation will be followed by discussion as the Jefferson Center Salon Series continues from 4 to 6 p.m. Sunday, April 10, on Zoom.

The video features Dr. Chris Cameron of UNC Charlotte, and a discussion to follow will be led by retired Southern Oregon University professor Sandra Coyner.

From times of slavery onward, attitudes toward religion and spirituality in Black communities have been diverse. Racial stereotyping, however, has obscured the breadth, depth, and variety of Black American freethought. Cameron’s talk highlights the history of these thinkers.

The online discussion will explore reactions to the information in the video, how American racism has distorted important aspects of the Black experience, and implications for efforts to promote free thought and rational inquiry while dismantling racism.

To join the Zoom event, visit the web page TheJeffCenter.org and click on the title of this event.

Prof. Cameron is author of the 2019 book “Black Freethinkers: A History of African American Secularism” and other books and articles on intellectual history. Among his recent awards is a fellowship with the American Council of Learned Societies. He is the founding president of the African American Intellectual History Society.

The talk is part of a series of speakers hosted by The Jefferson Center, a Rogue Valley nonprofit focused on critical thinking using humanist values to understand and engage with issues important to our community in the spirit of Jeffersonian ideals of rational inquiry and disciplined thought.

For more information, contact Coyner at 541-488-8429 or [email protected].

Source: Jefferson Center news release. Email Ashland.news Executive Editor Bert Etling at [email protected] or call or text him at 541-631-1313.