The Political Science Black Sociopolitical Lecture Series (PSBSLS)

"BLACK - A Celebration of Black Research" 

2025 Political Science Black Sociopolitical Lecture Series 

BLACK is a formal evening reception to highlight Black research and demonstrate why, even in such sociopolitical climates, Black research retains, if not gains, importance. The event affirms SIUE’s commitment to antiracism, diversity, equity, and inclusion (ADEI) by affirming that the research of Black scholars and the research of Blackness have legitimate places in higher education and often produce prescriptive measures for society.

An anticipated high point of the evening will be the video presentation of research by Dr. Timothy E. Lewis—interviews with transgenerational Black Americans who have been alive since before the end of racial segregation. Their real-life narratives validate a re-education on race, which is the premise of Dr. Lewis’s forthcoming book, Do You Know That You Have Black Friends?

BLACK also allows community partners to ensure the continued development of Black research through financial gifts to the SIUE Black Faculty and Staff Association (BFSA) Scholarship, whose goal is to alleviate the financial insecurity of historically marginalized racial classes.

What Is the Political Science Black Sociopolitical Lecture Series (PSBSLS)? 

In 2018, SIUE hosted civil rights legend Attorney Fred Gray at the invitation of Dr. Timothy E. Lewis—one of Gray’s mentees—and in collaboration with Arts & Issues. Gray gave a first-hand account of the experiences of the Civil Rights Movement in his capacities as the lawyer for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Rosa Parks, and others during the Civil Rights Movement. In response to this event, the SIUE community desired to hear more about Black sociopolitical issues, which prompted Dr. Lewis to create and launch the Political Science Black Sociopolitical Lecture Series (PSBSLS). PSBSLS is an annual conversation about the importance and recognition of Black sociopolitical issues from the perspectives of Black scholars, researchers, and professionals. 

Past Lecture Series

2019 was the inaugural year, and we were honored to have a presentation and Q&A from Mr. Marvin Johnson, Senior Director of Integrated Services Management at Johnson & Johnson, Incorporated. Johnson led our discussion on “The Plight of African American Male in Corporate America: A Political and Social Discussion.” In 2020, we hosted a panel entitled “Black and Blue: A Panel of Relational Policing in the African American Community.” Panelists included St. Louis County Prosecutor Wesley Bell, Demetrius Hatley (Senior U.S. Probation Officer), Joslyn Sandifer (Trial Attorney), and SIUE student Hayley Smith

In 2021, we held a virtual panel entitled "Visibly Invisible: The Sociopolitical Reality of Black Women.” Panelists included Ella Jones (Mayor of Ferguson, MO), Sharon Johnson, Ph.D. (Dean of the College of Social Work, University of Missouri-St. Louis), and Tarsha Moore (Assistant Director of the Center for Student Diversity and Inclusion & Sustained Dialogue Coordinator at SIUE). In 2022, we held another virtual panel, “Black America, White America: A Conversation about Present-Day American Segregation.” Panelists included Nathaniel Williams (Associate Professor, SIUE), Stephanie Alexander (Chief Human Resources & Federal Programs Officer, Jennings School District), and Representative Rasheen Aldridge (State Representative of 78th District, Missouri State Legislature).