Washington University Assembly Series

In his book The Shame of the Nation, he exposes glaring inequities between schools catering to minorities in dense cities, and predominantly white schools in suburbia.

Garber has authored four books devoted to the Bard; the most recent, Shakespeare After All, makes him more accessible to the common reader.

Jonathan Kozol, the nation’s foremost authority on the state of public education in America, will present a talk on “The Hearts of Children and Obligations of our Nation’s Schools” for the Assembly Series at 11 a.m., Wednesday, February 22. The lecture, which is free and open to the public, will be held in Graham Chapel.

Courtesy photoMarjorie GarberGleaned from her popular lectures covering three decades, Garber’s 2004 book, Shakespeare After All, offers fresh meditations on the Bard’s plays in an erudite and entertaining fashion. She is a professor of English and director of the Humanities Center at Harvard University. The talk, which is free and open to the public, will be held at 4 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 23, in Edison Theatre.

Conceptual artist and African-American activist damali ayo will give a presentation for the Washington University Assembly Series at 11 a.m. Wednesday, February 15 in Graham Chapel. The event, co-sponsored by Mortarboard and the Social Justice Center, is a multimedia presentation that interacts directly with the audience to address issues of racial injustice.

She has argued that the institution of marriage has always been dynamic, shifting to fulfill economic needs in societies or kin groups.

Family historian Stephanie Coontz will debunk popular myths about marriage and the family in her Assembly Series/School of Law lecture, “Courting Disaster? The World Historical Transformation of Marriage.” The talk, which is free and open to the public, will be held at 11 a.m.Wednesday, February 1 in Graham Chapel.

WestCornel West, one of America’s most prominent public intellectuals, will deliver a talk for the Washington University Assembly Series at 4 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 2, in Graham Chapel. His lecture, “Democracy Matters,” is free and open to the public, however seating will for the general public will be limited. Please call 314-935-4620 or visit the Assembly Series Web page (http://assemblyseries.wustl.edu) for more information.

Influential civil rights expert and Harvard law professor Lani Guinier will deliver the Chancellor’s Fellowship keynote address at 11 am. January 25 in Graham Chapel. Her talk, “Meritocracy INC: How Wealth Became Merit, Class Became Race, and College Education Became a Gift from the Poor to the Rich,” coincides with the commencement of the Assembly Series’ spring installment. A panel discussion will be held at 2 p.m. in the Women’s Building Formal Lounge. Most Assembly Series lectures are held in Graham Chapel at 11 a.m. on Wednesdays, and all lectures are free and open to the public. For a complete schedule and up-to-date information, check the Web site at http://assemblyseries.wustl.edu or call 314-935-5285.

Class scheduling conflicts have become an increasing problem for many undergraduates who want to attend the Wednesday-morning lectures.