USM’s Annual Barefield Lecture Set for Sept. 19 on Hattiesburg Campus

Thu, 09/08/2022 - 02:44pm | By: David Tisdale

Dr. Robert Jones, founder and president of the Public Religious Research Institute (PRRI) and a native of Jackson, Mississippi, will be the guest speaker at the University of Southern Mississippi (USM) for the 2022 Sam Barefield Lecture on Monday, Sept. 19 at 7:30 p.m. in Gonzales Auditorium in the Liberal Arts Building (LAB, room 108) on the Hattiesburg campus. Dr. Jones’ talk will be based on his book White Too Long: Disentangling Christianity from White Supremacy.

The Barefield Lecture is supported by the Barefield Endowment, along with USM President Emeritus Dr. Aubrey K. Lucas and Dr. Spud Bradley, among others. The lecture honors the late Sam Barefield, who served as director of the USM Wesley Foundation in the 1950s. This event is free and open to the public.

Dr. Jones and the PRRI conduct nonpartisan research on issues at the intersection of religion, culture, and public policy. A widely respected scholar and public commentator, he is often sought for his expert analysis and has been featured on major media outlets like NBC, CNN, and in The Washington Post and The New York Times. 

“We’re excited to bring Dr. Jones to Hattiesburg to speak on themes from his award-winning book White Too Long: The Legacy of White Supremacy in American Christianity,” said Dr. Sam Bruton, professor of philosophy and director of USM’s Office of Research Integrity who assists in organizing the annual lecture series. “As a native of Jackson, Jones was raised in a conservative Protestant religious environment, and his perspective on issues of religion and race will be of great interest to many in the Hattiesburg Community. 

“I believe that Dr. Jones is also a fitting guest to honor the legacy of the program’s namesake, as he shares Barefield’s vision of an inclusive and welcoming brand of Christianity.”

For more information on this event, contact Dr. Bruton at samuel.brutonFREEMississippi.