The public is invited to the free “Narrative Justice and the Arts” symposium at The University of Alabama in partnership with Stillman College held on Friday, March 28, 2025 from 9:00 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. in the English Building (Room 301).

This symposium will accompany the exhibit “Art’s Fiery Finger! The Greek Slave Story of Social Justice and 19th-Century Art,” on view at the Gorgas House Museum.

Incubating arts-research on the legacy of slavery and the intersection of racial/gender/sexual justice today, centered on two statues: Hagar by Edmonia Lewis and the Greek Slave by Hiram Power.

Schedule

• 9:00 – Opening Remarks
• 9:30-11:00 – Stories of Narrative Justice: Developing an Interpretive Framework
  • Robin Boylorn, director Holle Center, “A New Narrative Justice Initiative at UA”
  • New Alabama Studio (Barbara Brickman, Jamilah Cooper, Holland Hopson, John Haley), “Arts-Research at the Intersection of Racial and Gender Justice: Field Song, A Docu-poem”
  • Mark McCormick, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, Stillman College, “The Story of Hagar in Text and Image” o Jenny Shaw and students, Dept. of History, “The History of Enslaved People at UA, 1828-1865, part of the consortium Universities Studying Slavery”
• 11:15-12:30 – Keynote Address 
  • “Sacred Spaces, Shared Histories: The Transformative Power of Art,” Keynote Lecture by Hannah Drake and Josh Miller, co-founders of (Un)Known Project, Louisville KY.  Chaired by Yolanda Manora, Q&A discussion to follow

Parking

Tuesday through Friday:

Parking ($5) is available in the North Ten Hoor and Student Center parking decks.