WHAT: “Bayard Rustin: The Untold Story of a Civil & Gay Rights Pioneer,” Al Letson
WHEN: Wednesday, Feb. 9 @ 7 p.m.
WHERE: 210 Illini Union. 1401 West Green Street
From the event announcement: “August 28th, 1963 will forever be tied to Martin Luther King Jr.’s hallowed ‘I Have a Dream’ speech. This historic moment would probably have never come to fruition if it weren’t for a man standing in King’s shadow, Mr. Bayard Rustin. Rustin (right) was a man with a number of seemingly incompatible labels: black, gay, Quaker… identifications that served to earn him as many detractors as admirers. Although he had numerous passions and pursuits, his most transformative act, one that certainly changed the course of American history, was to counsel MLK on the use of non-violent resistance. Al Letson takes the audience to a specific time in history that shapes the way we live now.”
WHAT: “Political Socialization of Youth in Post-Soviet States,” Tatiana Afanasyeva, MA Student
WHEN: Tuesday, Feb. 8 @ 12 noon
WHERE: 101 International Studies Building, 910 S. Fifth Street, Champaign
WHAT: “Citizens, Science and the Law: The American Approach to Sustainability,” Henry Henderson, Executive Director, Midwest Chapter of the Natural Resources of Defense Council
WHEN: Thursday, Feb. 10 @ 8 p.m.
WHERE: 210 Illini Union
You live near a major university and a community college. There are smart people that come here every week to talk to the general public about interesting topics. Perhaps you were not aware of this fact, or were overwhelmed by the sheer number of opportunities for possible enlightenment. If that’s the case, Smile Politely understands and is here to help. Here are several events going on in town this week. Check out one or more of them if you have time. Get your learn on, as they say, and join the cognoscenti. It’s free, you know. Plus, sometimes there’s free food, too!
If you have a community event, speaker, or film event that you’d like to see featured on Listen Up!, send the event information to joelgillespie [at] smilepolitely [dot] com by Friday the week prior to the event. Listen Up! runs on Tuesdays.