“The murder of George Floyd fostered a better understanding of the Black Lives Matter movement,” said Dr. Andre Johnson, who will be presenting a talk at the University on Feb. 28 to discuss his recent book.
Johnson is a communications professor at the University of Memphis and senior pastor at Gifts of Life Ministries in Memphis, Tennessee.
The history department hosts the author of, “The Summer of 2020: George Floyd and the Resurgence of the Black Lives Matter Movement,” to discuss his work, as well as educate students on racial injustices.
Johnson’s research focuses on how race, religion and rhetoric intersect with each other, and his classes cover topics including social movements, religious communication and African American public address.
The title of the talk, “I Watched Someone Be Murdered: George Floyd and the Meaning of Black Lives Matter,” comes from his book.
He said he hopes this talk will educate students on how to analyze past mistakes and racial injustices and assist them in making changes for the future.
“I would like for people to leave with a better understanding of the Black Lives Matter movement and how the murder of George Floyd forced us to reexamine our ways of thinking,” he said.
Johnson’s book will be released in May and can be pre-ordered at https://www.upress.state.ms.us/Books/T/The-Summer-of-2020. A 30% discount is offered if the order is placed this month using the code BHM2024.
The talk will be hosted at 3:30 p.m. on Feb. 28 in Faculty Hall Room 208. A Q&A session will be held after the talk.
