Events

Barbara Earl Thomas: The Illuminated Body - Exhibition

February 17 – May 21, 2024  Barbara Earl Thomas’ most recent series of portraits weave an exquisite tapestry of light and color to depict individuals illuminated in moments of creativity. Invoking the history of portraiture, Thomas’ nine large-scale cut paper pieces celebrate great Black cultural icons such as August Wilson, Seth Parker Woods, and Charles Johnson, alongside Thomas’ friends, family, and acquaintances. Set in contexts ranging from public performance to the quiet of daydreaming, they honor the creative spark in all its manifestations. Thomas describes her subjects with nuance and care, encouraging extended viewing of these vibrant and layered portraits. The portraits are presented with The Transformation Room, a luminous installation created from light and intricately cut Tyvek, which offers a moment of respite for reflection and inspiration.

Lecture Series: Jews and the University: Antisemitism, Admissions, Academic Freedom

January 23 - March 14, 2024  The integration of Jews into the university is one of the great success stories of modern American culture and Jewish life. But recent events at Penn and at other campuses have led to accusations that the university has been too tolerant of antisemitism and become less welcoming to Jews. This free lecture series is an effort to share insights from history, sociology, education studies, and other fields that can help put the present moment into context.

The series kicks off with Dara Horn's in-person appearance at Penn Hillel on January 23, and continues with online talks through February and March.

Provost’s Lecture on Diversity - Guthrie Ramsey

Harold Prince Theatre, Annenberg Center, 3680 Walnut Street |

Guthrie Ramsey, Kahn Professor of Music, School of Arts and Sciences,

"Hide/Melt/Ghost: Writing the Early History of African-American Music"
This lecture – drawn from Prof. Ramsey's work in progress, "Soundproof: Black Music, Magic and Racial Intimacies," a history of African American music from the slave era to the present – describes how the musical practices of the enslaved were deployed as a sign of humanity, as a melting pot for the diverse African cultural groups that would become African American people, and as a soundtrack for paranormal events like spirit possession. Music is a powerful cultural transaction with allegorical potential. It doesn't just reflect community values, it “makes” communities and creates social bonds.

The Watermelon Woman, Film Screening

International House Philadelphia, 3701 Chestnut Street |

1vyG Conference 2018

Various Locations Throughout Campus | to

The 2018 1vyG Conference will be held at the University of Pennsylvania on February 16-18th, 2018 and will revolve around the theme of “Focusing on the Future: Developing Leadership, Institutional Change, and Post-Graduation Success as a First-Generation Student.”

For more information, visit https://www.facebook.com/team1vyG/. 

Borderline, Film Screening

International House Philadelphia, 3701 Chestnut Street |

Travis Bristol - Visiting Scholars of Color Lecture Series

TBD |

As a part of its Visiting Scholars of Color lecture series Penn GSE welcomes Travis Bristol, an assistant professor at Boston University who studies the experiences of teachers of color. Among other things, Bristol’s work has furthered research by Penn GSE’s Richard Ingersoll on the teaching profession.  Event details to follow.

Sonia's Dream, Film Screening

Rainey Auditorium, Penn Museum, 3260 South Street |

African Scholar-For-A-Day Colloquium

TBD |

Speaker - Jemima Pierre

Jemima Pierre is a sociocultural anthropologist whose research and teaching interests are located in the overlaps between African Studies and African Diaspora Studies and engage three broad areas: race, racial formation theory, and political economy; culture and the history of anthropological theory; and transnationalism, globalization and diaspora.

The Scholar for a Day is a day-long seminar, organized by Penn graduate students of all disciplines, designed to provide students and faculty with exposure to a leading scholar in African Studies.  The event allows for intensive engagement with authors of significant theoretical approaches to Africanist scholarship as well as providing an opportunity to gain insight into the professional process—the evolution of new empirical and theoretical interests, the methodologies of research and writing and the process of collaboration between scholars.

Body and Soul, Film Screening

International House Philadelphia, 3701 Chestnut Street |

Blood of Jesus, Film Screening

International House Philadelphia, 3701 Chestnut Street |

Cultural Lens featuring Irina Bokova

Perry World House, 3803 Locust Walk, Global Policy Lab | to

The Perry World House and Global Philadelphia present a moderated conversation with former UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova and community leaders from Philadelphia and the University of Pennsylvania about the power of culture and heritage to bring the world together.