Book Talk with Author Ethelene Whitmire

On February 26, we were fortunate to host Professor Ethelene Whitmire of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, who presented her book, The Remarkable Life of Reed Peggram: The Man Who Stared Down World War II in the Name of Love (Viking, 2026). The book tells the story of Mr. Peggram, a queer, Black scholar who studied in Europe on the brink of World War II, where he fell in love, was captured by the Nazis, and miraculously escaped.

Professor Whitmire’s skilful handling of archival materials was on full display in her presentation, which chronicled the extraordinary life of Mr. Peggram in vivid detail. 

Thank you to Professor Whitmire for sharing this fascinating story! 

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Phillips Presentation with Professor Patrick Otim

Patrick Otim (Associate Professor of Africana and History) earned a Phillips Fellowship and a National Endowment for the Humanities Fellowship for his current book project, which explores Northern Ugandan history during the long period encompassing the war between the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) and the government of Uganda (GOU).

On Monday, March 2, he presented this fascinating research with our community in a lecture, “Caught in Between: The History of Everyday Life in Northern Uganda, 1950-2015.” His presentation gave a rich overview of his book project, which brings to light new layers of Northern Ugandan history through focusing on the underexplored perspective of everyday citizens.

We look forward to seeing how this project unfolds as it progresses toward publication!

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Guest Lecture with Professor Joseph Mbaiwa

On Wednesday, March 4, we hosted Professor Joseph Mbaiwa, a Professor of Tourism Studies at the Okavango Research Institute (ORI), University of Botswana, and a Fulbright Scholar and Visiting Professor at the University of Montana.

In his public talk, “”Contested Wildlife-based Tourism and Conservation Politics in Botswana,” Professor Mbaiwa shared his insights on the tensions between the wildlife tourism industry and local communities in Botswana. 

A sincere thank you to Professor Mbaiwa for offering his insights on such a rich and relevant topic.

On Tuesday, February 24, we celebrated Black History Month by reading poems from the Harlem Renaissance. The event began with an eloquent introduction by Professor Myronn Hardy (excerpted below):

“The Harlem Renaissance, 1918 to the mid 1930s was a time of
blossoming, a balm of Black visual art, music, scholarship, and
literature.  It was a moment, within a neighborhood in America’s
largest city, that shaped American culture, extended its reach
throughout the country, throughout the African diaspora, as well as
the world.  Its influence continues to shape who we are, what art is,
what poetry is, and can be.”

Our program then included readings of the following works from this rich cultural movement:

“What Do I Care for Morning” by Helene Johnson
“Theft” by Esther Popel
“Stars in Alabama” by Jessie Redmon Fauset
“To a Certain Lady, in Her Garden” by Sterling A. Brown
“Length of Moon” by Arna Bontemps
“Lenox Avenue: Midnight” by Langston Hughes

“Nameless” by Mae Cowdery
“Heritage” by Countee Cullen
“Solace” by Clarissa Scott Delany
“Georgia Dusk” by Jean Toomer
“If We Must Die” by Claude McKay

Highlights of our presenters:

A huge thank you to Professor Hardy for organizing this wonderful event, and to our students and staff for bringing the poems to life through their readings.

Scholar Tea with Dr. Shingirai Taodzera (Wednesday, Feb. 11 at 4:15pm, Pettengill G65)

Dr. Taodzera will be in conversation with Africana faculty member Prof. Eric LeFlore. Dr. Taodzera’s research and teaching address the political economy of development in East and Southern Africa, with a focus on the governance of extractive natural resources, particularly oil and minerals. He is currently working on several research projects, including finalizing his first monograph, entitled Resourceful Kingdoms: Community Resource Ownership and Development in Africa, under contract with Ohio University Press. This project explores how the inclusion of indigenous customary institutions in the governance of land, minerals, and oil can contribute to political representation, poverty reduction, economic growth, mitigation of environmental harm, as well as attainment of sustainable development in Africa.

Harlem Renaissance Poetry Reading (Tuesday, Feb. 24 at 4:15pm, Fireplace Lounge)

In this interactive event, students and faculty will read poems from the extraordinary Harlem Renaissance cultural movement.

Book Presentation with Dr. Ethelene Whitmire (Thursday, Feb. 26 at 7:30pm, Muskie Archives)

Dr. Whitmire will present her recent book The Remarkable Life of Reed Peggram: The Man Who Stared Down World War II in the Name of Love (Viking, 2026). The book tells the story of Reed Peggram, a queer, Black scholar who studied in Europe on the brink of World War II, where he fell in love, was captured by the Nazis, and miraculously escaped.

Charles Nero, Benjamin E. Mays ’20 Distinguished Professor of Africana and Rhetoric, Film, and Screen Studies, hosted a discussion on the role of “Love, Anger, and the Struggle for Justice” in the 2025 film Sinners. The panel included Professors Dale Chapman (Africana, American Studies, and Music) and Stephanie Kelley-Romano (Rehtoric, Film, & Screen Studies); along with students Matthew Fox ’26, Bella Saul ’26 (an Africana minor), Aidan Stark-Chessa ’26, and Braedon Parker ’27, who were all enrolled in Professor Nero’s Fall 2025 course “White Redemption: Cinema and the Co-optation of African American History.”

(Sinners panel discussion. Photo credit: �ֲ���ý Communications & Marketing.)

In addition, Professor Nero also co-facilitated a panel on Buddhism as represented in the television show The White Lotus.

(White Lotus Panel Discussion. Photo credit: �ֲ���ý Communications & Marketing.)

And in another well-attended panel, Visiting Assistant Professor Temi Noah hosted a screening of the film Being Black in Hitler’s Germany, followed by a discussion and q+a with director John A. Kantara. The film highlights the upbringing of journalist Hans Massaquoi, who grew up Black in Nazi Germany and later became editor of Ebony Magazine.

These events are just a few examples of the dynamic range of MLK Day panels at �ֲ���ý and the engaging ways that our college honors Dr. King’s legacy each year. For a deeper look at the day’s programming, see this .