Research

Rock Ethics Institute, History Department present 'Legacies of Lynching' panel

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — A panel discussion, “Legacies of Lynching,” sponsored by Penn State’s Department of History, Rock Ethics Institute, and Adult Learner Programs and Services, will take place at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, April 10, in 134 HUB-Robeson Center.

The discussion will explore the history of lynchings in Pennsylvania and include panelists Dennis Downey, Emeritus Professor of History at Millersville University and author of “Coatesville and the Lynching of Zachariah Walker”; and Penn State junior Awaly Diallo, who will talk about her experience as an intern at Northeastern School of Law’s Civil Rights and Restorative Justice Project. Diallo is majoring in sociology and African American Studies. Ben Jones, assistant director of the Rock Ethics Institute, will moderate the discussion.

This event will follow up on themes that Bryan Stevenson, a lawyer and award-winning author of "Just Mercy," spoke about in a lecture he gave at Penn State in February. Stevenson is one of the leading voices for civil rights and criminal justice reform today, and in his work, has called on Americans to confront the history of racial terror and its enduring legacy. This panel will explore the history of lynchings in Pennsylvania and efforts by Penn State students to investigate and seek justice.

Last Updated April 15, 2019