Lessons from the Deacons

On Thursday, March 10th, Selika Ducksworth-Lawton will discuss her scholarship regarding "Deacons for Defense and Justice." This was not a "Black Power" group, but a collection largely of WWII veterans, relatively conservative in much of their world view, but firmly (if quietly) present to defend African American communities. They also helped guard Civil Rights leaders during the 1960s. Ducksworth-Lawton has been a professor of History and of Women's, Gender and Sexuality Studies at UW-Eau Claire for nearly 3 decades. Her teaching interests are in U.S. Social History, African American History, and Military History. In addition to her teaching and historical scholarship, Ducksworth-Lawton is active in present-day equality actions, ranging from organizing demonstrations to working with the Eau Claire police department to improve their work. Her achievements are too numerous to list here but include serving on the Eau Claire Police and Fire Commission and co-hosting a weekly podcast "Conversations in Color." Thus, her talk may have special relevance to modern activists and law enforcement. In early 2021, she became the 4th recipient of UWEC's MLK,Jr. Social Justice Award for her decades of efforts to create a more inclusive community.This and other sessions of the Thursdays at the U Lecture Series are held 12:30-1:30 in the Blue Hills Lecture Hall (Ritzinger 234) on the UWEC-Barron County campus in Rice Lake. The campus is located at 1800 College Drive in Rice Lake. The lectures are free and open to the public (no reservations required) thanks to financial support from the campus foundation.