Zerlina Maxwell Presenting Michael Davis Lecture Feb. 15
01/23/2017

Zerlina Maxwell, attorney, political analyst, writer and commentator, will present Southeast Missouri State University’s 21st annual Michael Davis Lecture from 6-7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 15, in Glenn Auditorium of Dempster Hall. Maxwell's lecture, “The normalization of HATE and the 2016 Election,” is free and open to the public and is one of several Black History Month events at Southeast. The Michael Davis Lecture recognizes the contributions of African Americans in the media. The event honors the late Michael Davis, a journalism student at Southeast who died as a result of a hazing incident. In 1997, the then Department of Mass Communication held the first Michael Davis Lecture to honor his memory as part of the University’s Black History Month activities. More than 150 faculty, staff and students regularly attend the annual event. This event is sponsored by the College of Health and Human Services, College of Liberal Arts, Department of Mass Media, Division of Enrollment Management and Student Success, Office of Institutional Equity and Diversity, Office of the Provost and the University Speaker Series. Maxwell is an attorney, political analyst and activist against rape culture and sexual assault. She served as the director of progressive media for Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign. Maxwell is a speaker and contributing writer for Essence Magazine, EBONY.com, Mic.com and RHRealitycheck.org. She writes about national politics, candidates, and specific policy and culture issues including domestic violence, sexual assault, victim blaming and gender inequality. She has consulted with the U.S. Department of State to promote the use of social media by students in the West Bank and is a frequent speaker about rape culture and feminism at colleges, universities and organizations.. She was profiled in the New York Times as a top political Twitter voice to follow during the 2012 election season. She was also selected by Time as having one of the best Twitter feeds in 2014. Her writing also has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Washington Post, Jet, Marie Clair, on theGrio.com, BET.com, Feministing.com, CNN.com, and in other mainstream media outlets. She is also a weekly guest and fill-in host for “Make It Plain” with Mark Thompson on Sirius XM Progress, and as a Democratic commentator on FOX News and MSNBC. Maxwell speaks about feminism, rape culture, race, diversity, breaking through in social media, blogging and politics. In 2015, she was one of five journalists invited to travel on Air Force One with President Barack Obama on his trip to Selma for the 50th anniversary of Bloody Sunday. Also, in 2016, she joined pop superstar Lady Gaga on stage at the 88th annual Academy Awards as part of a special performance of her nominated smash, “Til’ It Happens to You” from the film “The Hunting Ground.” For more information on the Michael Davis Lecture, email Sia Sharma at equityissues@semo.edu or call (573) 651-2606.