‘Sketches of Slave Life’ Focus of Year of Freedom Event

By Shay Kazi

Katherine C. Bassard, Ph.D., chair of the Department of English in the College of Humanities and Sciences, will discuss the importance of the Emancipation Proclamation in American and personal history on Feb. 20 as part of the Year of Freedom lunchtime brown bag discussion series.

Bassard's talk will focus on the novel “Sketches of Slave Life,” which shows how slavery and freedom are often exhibited as negotiated — rather than fixed — ideas in literature. The novel is a narrative by Virginia author Peter Randolph about his life in Prince George County, where he was enslaved. When his master died in 1844, Randolph was emancipated and later went on to free numerous others.

Bassard will speak at noon in Virginia Room A, University Student Commons. The program is free and open to the public.

Bassard’s talk is part of the “Year of Freedom: Confronting Our Past, Facing Our Future” campaign, which features a variety of guest speakers, activities and lectures that reflect on the important events in 1862 and 1863 that led to the Emancipation Proclamation.

Bassard said the Emancipation Proclamation’s effect was vast.

“At the stroke of a pen, people’s futures and identities changed,” Bassard said. “This is an excellent chance for the VCU community to get together and discuss larger issues among us.”

Other upcoming discussions in the series are:

·        Andrew H. Talkov, historian at the Virginia Historical Society, will discuss “Something Like Glory: The True History of Black Soldiers in the Civil War” on March 27 in the University Student Commons Forum Room.  

·        Liz Canfield, assistant professor in the VCU Department of Gender, Sexuality and Women’s Studiesin the College of Humanities and Sciences, will speak about “The Prison-Industrial Complex and Contemporary Abolition Movements” on April 10 at the University Student Commons Theater.

·        The VCU Year of Freedom Committee, students and audience members will participate in an open discussion on the Year of Freedom titled “Recap: What Then? What Next?” on April 24 at the University Commons Forum Room.

All of the lunchtime brown bag discussions begin at noon and are free and open to the public.

For more information or special accommodations, contact Ryan K. Smith at rksmith3@vcu.edu or call804-828-1635.

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