The Black History Month Speaker Series at Dalton State will kick off this year with a focus on Atlanta as a “the black Mecca.”
Dr. Maurice Hobson, an assistant professor of African-American studies and a historian at Georgia State University, will discuss his book “The Legend of the Black Mecca: Politics and Class in the Making of Modern Atlanta” on Thursday, Feb. 1 at 7 p.m. in room 105 of the James E. Brown Center at Dalton State. It is free and open to the public.
Atlanta earned the nickname “the black Mecca” for its achievement in education, business, politics, media and music for African Americans. However, Dr. Hobson explores the idea the city has still mishandled poor black people. He writes there is a schism between the black political elite and the poor residents.
“When I started the Black History Month Speaker Series last year, my vision was for it to grow to a point where we could host different events throughout the month which would provide interest for the campus and community while attracting scholars,” said Dr. Seith Weitz, associate professor of history at Dalton State.
Dr. Hobson earned a doctorate in history focusing on African American History and 20th Century U.S. History from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. His research is grounded in African American history, 20th Century U.S. history, African American studies, oral history and ethnography, urban and rural history, political economy and popular cultural studies
Dr. Hobson engages the social sciences and has created a new paradigm called the Black New South that explores the experiences of black folk in the American South, with national and international implications, since WWII. For this, he has served as an expert witness in court cases and as a voice of insight for documentaries, films, public historical markers, monuments and museum exhibitions.
The Black History Month Speaker Series is hosted by the Office of Academic Affairs and the Dalton State Foundation.