Lecture "Race and Education in Florida: How Far Have We Come?", Oct. 24, 2016 on SF Northwest Campus
October 12, 2016
Dr. Walter Smith will be on our campus Monday, October 24 in order to meet students, faculty, staff and deliver a public lecture that evening at 7pm titled "Race and Education in Florida: How Far Have We Come?"
Dr. Walter L. Smith was raised in a segregated Florida that offered limited educational opportunities to African-American youth. Although he dropped out of high school, he eventually earned his Ph.D. from Florida State University and went on to become president of Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU) from 1977-1985. Before assuming this presidency, Dr. Smith worked for the U.S. Office of Civil Rights in the late 1960's and early 1970's overseeing the desegregation of schools in Florida. He has held several senior leadership roles in higher education institutions, serving as provost of Hillsborough Community College in Tampa , president of Roxbury Community College in Massachusetts, and founding rector of FUNDA Community College in South Africa. In 1994 Dr. Smith published The Magnificent Twelve, the only book ever written about the history of Florida's black junior colleges. He also served as a faculty member in the University of Florida's College of Education from 1995-2000. Since retiring, Dr. Smith has dedicated himself to serving disadvantaged youth in his home town of Tampa through the Dr. Walter L. Smith Library. We are honored to host him on our campus and look forward to learning from his extensive experience.
Monday, October 24
7-8:30pm Public Lecture "Race and Education in Florida: How Far Have We Come?" in FAH lobbyDr.
