Office of Communications

Contact: Amy Houle

Communications Specialist

Office: (817) 531-7521

ahoule@txwes.edu

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

WILLSON LECTURE SERIES PRESENTS DR. STACEY FLOYD-THOMAS

Dr. Stacey Floyd-Thomas, co-founder of the nationally acclaimed Black Religious Scholars Group and director of Black Church Studies at Brite Divinity School, will be the featured speaker during the 2007 Willson Lecture Series at Texas Wesleyan University. She will talk about the permanence of racism, the erasure of education, and the relevance of religion.

The lecture will be at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 16, in Martin Hall, with a reception immediately following. Admission is free. Martin Hall is located in the Ann Waggoner Fine Arts Building, 1309 Wesleyan St. The event is sponsored by the chaplain’s office.

Floyd-Thomas is the associate professor of ethics and director of Black Church Studies at Brite Divinity School of Texas Christian University. She holds degrees from Vassar College, Candler School of Theology and Temple University. As a theologian, scholar, professor, and pastoral counselor, her scholarly research and social activism has been dedicated to examining the effects that institutions such as the church, higher education, family, and government have had on defining marginalized groups and these groups’ undertaken tasks to define their own identities. She is a sought-after lecturer and scholar who has taught and lectured throughout the United States as well as in Egypt, England, France, Italy, Japan, and West Africa. She has also written three books: Mining the Motherlode: Methods in Womanist Ethics, Deeper Shades of Purple: Womanism in Religion and Society and Black Church Studies: An Introduction.

The annual Willson Lecture Series is made possible by a gift from the late Mavis Terry Willson and the late J.M. Willson of Floydada, TX. In 1946, the Willsons provided an endowment to bring outstanding speakers to campus. Through the years, these speakers have delivered messages that have challenged and inspired thousands of Texas Wesleyan students, faculty and staff.

For more information, contact Dr. Gladys Childs, Chaplain, at (817) 531-4461 or gchilds@txwes.edu.