Honors Forum highlights black intellectuals
Joel Boyce
Issue date: 2/27/03 Section: News
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Many UAH students interested in learning more about the contributions to American intellectualism made by African-Americans thoroughly appreciated the presentation by Attorney Cleophas Thomas who shed light on several overlooked black intellectuals.
Attorney Thomas' presentation took place on Thursday, February 20 in the University Center Room 126 at 11:10 a.m. His lecture was entitled, "Who Told You? Provenance in the African-American Intellectual Tradition." The Alabama Humanities Foundation Speakers Bureau and the Honors Program with the assistance of the Office of Multicultural Affairs sponsored the Honors Forum.
He received three B.A. degrees in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics from Oxford University in Oxford, England in 1980. In 1982, Attorney Thomas received his law degree from Harvard Law School. He has also served as the law clerk to U.S. District Judge J.Foyguin from 1982-83. Currently, he is the Trustee Emeritus of the University of Alabama and a member of the Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Incorporated.
Attorney Thomas spoke about the importance of provenance when discussing the African-American intellectual tradition. He used the term "provenance" to discuss the history of ownership of the intellectual tradition of African-Americans. He wanted the students to understand that the pattern of black intellectualism was not a new occurrence, but that it had historically been a significant portion of American intellectual thought.
Attorney Thomas talked about some of the problems associated with people looking to European historians for information about African-American intellectuals rather than looking within the black culture.
"We should avoid overlooking sources of black authors just because they have not been recognized by major white literary audiences," said Brad Bain, a senior English student. "He showed examples of how in many cases people look in the wrong places to find African American intellectuals, and black scholars hope to gain recognition through other Euro-American scholars, such as Susan Sontag."
Attorney Thomas' presentation took place on Thursday, February 20 in the University Center Room 126 at 11:10 a.m. His lecture was entitled, "Who Told You? Provenance in the African-American Intellectual Tradition." The Alabama Humanities Foundation Speakers Bureau and the Honors Program with the assistance of the Office of Multicultural Affairs sponsored the Honors Forum.
He received three B.A. degrees in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics from Oxford University in Oxford, England in 1980. In 1982, Attorney Thomas received his law degree from Harvard Law School. He has also served as the law clerk to U.S. District Judge J.Foyguin from 1982-83. Currently, he is the Trustee Emeritus of the University of Alabama and a member of the Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Incorporated.
Attorney Thomas spoke about the importance of provenance when discussing the African-American intellectual tradition. He used the term "provenance" to discuss the history of ownership of the intellectual tradition of African-Americans. He wanted the students to understand that the pattern of black intellectualism was not a new occurrence, but that it had historically been a significant portion of American intellectual thought.
Attorney Thomas talked about some of the problems associated with people looking to European historians for information about African-American intellectuals rather than looking within the black culture.
"We should avoid overlooking sources of black authors just because they have not been recognized by major white literary audiences," said Brad Bain, a senior English student. "He showed examples of how in many cases people look in the wrong places to find African American intellectuals, and black scholars hope to gain recognition through other Euro-American scholars, such as Susan Sontag."