Civil rights activist James L. Felder to speak at Coker College
February 4, 2016
Coker College’s Center for Diversity, Interfaith and Inclusion Education will host speaker and former civil rights activist James L. Felder on Feb. 15 at 7 p.m. in Davidson Hall on Coker’s campus. The event is free and open to the public.
Felder, a native of Sumter, SC, has been involved in voter registration and education since 1967. A graduate of Clark Atlanta University and Howard University School of Law, he was one of three Blacks elected to the South Carolina House of Representatives in 1970, becoming the first to serve since Reconstruction.
Felder is also a published author of two books. His first book, “I Buried John F.
Kennedy,” reveals the role he played in the funeral of President John F. Kennedy in 1963. His recent book, “Civil Rights In South Carolina,” tells the stories of sit-ins, integration of state universities, major legal rulings that ended forced segregation and more, drawn from in-depth interviews, newspaper reports and his own personal observation and experiences.
Rev. John Foster III, associate professor of religion at Coker, was appointed last year as the campus director for diversity, interfaith and inclusion education. In this role, he seeks to support existing campus efforts to create a safe, inclusive campus environment. He also collaborates with college leadership to recommend and implement additional programs and services related to campus climate and dialogue.
“Jim Felder can help us understand our role, as a collective group, of stopping injustice of any kind,” said Foster. “He’s a model for our students who live in a world where intolerance is still expected, and he can inspire all of us to speak out against injustice wherever it happens.”
Felder currently serves as president of the South Carolina Voter Education Project. He has taught at Allen University, Benedict College and Voorhees College and has lectured on the campuses of more than 35 colleges and universities. He lives in Columbia, SC, and has two children, Jimmy and Adrienne, and two grandsons, Lance and Sean.
For more information, please contact John Foster at (843) 383-8266 or [email protected].
About Coker College
Coker College is a student-focused, private liberal arts college located in Hartsville, South Carolina. Coker combines round table, discussion-based learning with hands-on experiences to encourage active participation in and out of the classroom. A supportive, close-knit community prepares Coker students with the confidence and practical life skills they need to reach their personal best, in college and beyond.
Founded in 1908, Coker is a bachelor’s and master’s degree-granting institution and competes in 21 NCAA Division II sports. Coker is ranked among the “Best Colleges” in the South by U.S. News & World Report as well as The Princeton Review, and by Washington Monthly as No. 5 for value among colleges in the Southeast region.
