Ted Hamm, Ph.D., associate professor of journalism and new media studies, will present the inaugural talk of the “Lectures for Our Next Century” series Monday at 7:30 p.m. in the Tuohy Hall Student Lounge.
Dr. Hamm will discuss his latest book, “Frederick Douglass In Brooklyn,” which was recently featured in The New York Times.
“This series is envisioned to highlight the scholarship of our faculty and showcase their contributions to the commonwealth of ideas,” said Michael Hanophy, Ph.D., interim executive dean at SJC Brooklyn. “Ted’s book, with its emphasis on a great historical figure in a local setting, illustrates the importance of Douglass in a context that is geographically familiar, yet historically unknown to many Brooklyn residents.”
For this work, Dr. Hamm compiled original source material to illustrate the complex relationship between Frederick Douglass and the city of Brooklyn. Most prominent are the speeches the abolitionist gave at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, Plymouth Church, and other leading Brooklyn institutions.
Whether discussing the politics of the Civil War or recounting his relationships with Abraham Lincoln and John Brown, Douglass’s towering voice sounds anything but dated. To provide a frame of contextual reference, Dr. Hamm provides an introductory essay examining the intricate ties between Douglass and Brooklyn abolitionists, while brief chapter introductions and annotations fill in the remaining historical context.
Dr. Hamm writes about criminal justice and New York City politics for a number of publications, including the Village Voice, In Justice Today, The Daily Beast and City Limits. From 2000 to 2013, he was the editor of the Brooklyn Rail.
The event is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Michael Banach at 718.940.5584 or mbanach@sjny.edu.
