(BLACK PR WIRE) – DAYTONA BEACH, Florida - On Thursday, April 4, 2013 the Bethune Cookman University will host the John G Riley Center & Museum’s themed lecture series entitled, “A Route in Search of Roots: The Power of a Greater Vision” sponsored by the Florida Humanities Council. The free event begins with a reception at 5:00 P.M. at the Center for Civic Engagement on the Bethune-Cookman University, followed by a reception from 7:00 until 8:00 P.M. The statewide lecture series follows the trail of Booker T. Washington’s southern educational tours that brought him to Florida in 1912 to dispel the myths about the educational capacity of blacks in the south following the end of slavery. 

The distinguished speakers include: Dr. Anthony Dixon, Professor/Historian/Archivist of the Riley Museum Archives at Tallahassee Community College; Dr. David Jackson, Chair of the History & Political Science Department at Florida A&M University; Dr. Tameka Hobbs, Professor of History at Florida Memorial University; Jarvis Rosier, Sergeant Major (Retired) and Founder of Florida’s 2ND Infantry Regiment United States Colored Troops (USCT) Reenactment Unit; Mrs. Althemese Barnes, founder and Executive Director of the John G. Riley Center/Museum and the Florida African American Heritage Preservation Network; and Dr. Will Guzman, Director of the Office of Black Diaspora Culture at Florida A&M University, serves as the lead scholar and moderator on the project. 

A historical brochure featuring timelines, summary of topic areas and a resource guide of related readings will be distributed during these lecture series. In addition, seven traveling exhibit banner stands, which illustrate each historic period, will be displayed at the Carl S. Swisher Library on the campus of Bethune-Cookman University. 

Florida has a unique relationship and history with African American descendants, unlike any other state. Since inception it has been a safe haven for African descendants who first fought against slavery, then against oppression and later for their civil rights. The historians will use their research and publications to present on how a culturally diverse group of people – speaking different languages in a foreign land, forged a path that is a living testament to their resilience and went on to make remarkable contributions to Florida’s development from 1513 to 2013. 

The Florida Humanities Council (FHC) provides financial support for the planning and implementation of large-scale humanities projects that occur over a timeframe of up to 18 months. For more information about other upcoming VIVA Florida500 events visit www.vivaflorida.org project or contact the John G. Riley Museum at (850) 681-7881.