LECTURE: The Dangerous Mind of Benjamin Lay, The Newberry, 4/26/2016
The Dangerous Mind of Benjamin Lay (1682-1759), Atlantic Abolitionist
Tuesday, April 26, 2016, 3 pm - 4:15 pm
The Newberry Ruggles Hall Open to the Public This lecture, by Marcus Rediker, explores the life and thought of Benjamin Lay, a radical abolitionist dwarf who, in the 1730’s, practiced guerilla theater against slave-owners and became one of the first to argue for the immediate, unconditional abolition of slavery. This intellectual history from below argues that Lay’s radicalism was a rope of five strands: “primitive Quakerism,” seafaring solidarity, African-American freedom struggles, commoning, and ancient philosophy. Lay’s radical thought and practice suggest a new genealogy of anti-slavery. Marcus Rediker is Distinguished Professor of Atlantic History at the University of Pittsburgh. His nine books have won numerous prizes and appeared in fourteen languages. His most recent work is Outlaws of the Atlantic: Sailors, Pirates and Motley Crews in the Age of Sail (Beacon Press, 2014). He is also the producer of an award-winning documentary film, Ghosts of Amistad, directed by Tony Buba, about the popular memory of the slave trade in Sierra Leone. Outlaws of the Atlantic will be available at the Newberry Bookstore. In addition to this lecture, please join Marcus Rediker for a screening and discussion of Ghosts of Amistad. This program entitled Making Ghosts of Amistad: History from Below in Action, is hosted by DePaul University’s Center for Black Diaspora and will be held in the Rosati room in the John Richardson Library, 2350 North Kenmore Avenue. The screening will take place on Wednesday, April 27th, 2:30-5:30 pm. Cost and Registration Information This event is free and no reservations are required.
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