Aggie Agora will kick off their Friday lecture series with a discussion on hidden African American figures throughout history on Sept. 22 at 10:30 a.m.
Aggie Agora is a student organization that aims to facilitate public discourse and civic engagement on Texas A&M’s campus through workshops, lectures and special events. “Hidden Figures” is the theme for this year’s lecture series, which seeks to encourage conversations about people that are overlooked in society and provide a safe place to discuss issues such as race, class and gender. This week’s lecture series will feature Rev. Kenyatta Gilbert, associate professor at Howard University.
As a Christian preacher who has been serving in the ministry for over 25 years, Gilbert said he wishes to bring forth the truth and dispel misconceptions about black leaders throughout history.
“In my lecture, I want to simply bring to the fore some lesser known figures, religious leaders, who’ve paved the way for iconic figures such as Dr. King and many other leaders who are serving today,” Gilbert said. “The majority culture in the United States remains badly informed about the genius and complex social and functional identity of black religious leaders who’ve given voice and shaped American society and its historic traditions.”
Gilbert said that in to progress, society needs to encourage those that are marginalized to speak up.
“When we are more conscientious of how much our words matter, we tend to do better,” Gilbert said. “It seems to me that the way forward is to empower voices to fact find and speak the truth, in love. It takes courage to name things that cut against the grain.”
Jessica Gantt, communication grad student and assistant to the Aggie Agora program, said conversations like this are important to have, especially at predominantly white institutions.
“Even the most well-intentioned white students and community members can lack understanding of the powerful impact non-white actors have had on their everyday lives,” Gantt said. “We can always benefit from learning more about our history and society, which has been impacted and shaped powerfully, and for the better, by non-white folks.”
Director of Aggie Agora Jennifer Mercieca said she invited Rev. Gilbert to speak at this year’s Friday Lecture series after reading his article on how black female preachers spoke truth to power. Mercieca said that his discussion will fit perfectly with Aggie Agora’s theme for this year.
“I’m hoping that not only will our conversations around his visit help us to understand the contributions made by these hidden figures,” said Mercicia, “but also help us think about why their contributions were kept hidden in the first place.