GRAMMY AWARD-WINNING SINGER- SONGWRITER FROM BENIN IN CONVERSATION AT THE WORLDWISE: ARTS AND HUMANITIES DEAN’S LECTURE SERIES
WHAT:
The WORLDWISE: Arts and Humanities Dean’s Lecture Series features a discussion between Angélique Kidjo and Sheri Parks, associate dean in the College of Arts and Humanities, in which Kidjo will talk about her life story, including her reasons for escaping Benin’s former leftist regime to pursue her dream of becoming an artist in Paris. She will also talk about what it means to be the “queen of African music” and her fervent activism around women and girls in Africa.
The discussion will also explore the idea of cultural rights in the lives of refugees, taking into account the United Nations’ recognition of culture as a human right.
Prior to the lecture, the Arts and Humanities Center for Synergy led by Sheri Parks will host a ThinkAThon for Refugees: A Think and Do Day of Intellectual Activism, in which Yasmine Taeb from Friends’ National Committee for Legislation will brief participants on the ongoing refugee crises. Two representatives from the International Rescue Committee will provide briefings on the current refugee crisis in Baltimore, which is one of largest receiver cities of refugees in the Unites States.
The briefings will be followed by group discussions, in which participants will examine specific issues and think of solutions to alleviate the plight of refugees.
The event is co-sponsored by the Office of Diversity and Inclusion and the Office of International Affairs.
Lunch will be provided. Participants should register, but walk-ins are welcome.
WHO:
Sheri Parks, Associate Dean for Research, Interdisciplinary Scholarship and Programming in the College of Arts and Humanities
Angelique Kidjo, singer-songwriter and activist from Benin, Africa
Growing up in Benin, Africa, Kidjo was influenced by the sounds and rhythms of Beninese traditional music, as well as jazz, pop, and salsa music. Through her dynamic collaborations with composers such as Philip Glass, Kidjo strives to combine African music with different musical styles.
Kidjo was named one of the 40 most powerful celebrities in Africa by Forbes and one of the 100 most inspiring women in the world by The Guardian. As the founder of the Batonga Foundation for Girls in Africa and is Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF, Kidjo is dedicated to empowering the lives of African women.
WHEN:
5:30 - 7 p.m. (WORLDWISE: Arts and Humanities Dean’S Lecture Series)
9 a.m. - 2 p.m. (ThinkAThon for Refugees)
WHERE:
The ThinkAThon for Refugees will be held in the Charles Carroll Room at the Adele H. Stamp Student Union, University of Maryland, College Park.
The WORLDWISE: Arts and Humanities Dean’s Lecture with Sheri Parks and Angélique Kidjo will take place in the Gildenhorn Recital Hall in The Clarice, University of Maryland, College Park.
