VERO BEACH — Acclaimed speakers and performers will be presented in six programs between Oct. 2011 and April 2012, with presentations relating to Florida history and issues. Admission to each is complimentary and all performances will begin at 7 p.m. on their respective Thursday evenings.
October is National Humanities Month and the premier speaker of the series. Paul Dosal, Ph.D., will speak on Thursday, Oct. 27 on Florida’s Hispanic Heritage: Commemorating 500 years of Florida’s Connections with Latin America and the Caribbean. Born and raised in Tampa, Dosal is a fourth-generation descendant of Cuban immigrants who settled in Ybor City in 1889. He is the vice provost for student success and professor of Latin American History at the University of South Florida, specializing in modern history of Cuba and the Caribbean region.
The six-piece musical group, The Ashley Gang, joins us on Thursday, Dec. 8 for Telling Tall Tales, Having Fun: with Florida Songs and Stories. Known for their soaring harmonies, thought-provoking lyrics and witty repartee on stage, The Ashley Gang has been performing together for more than a decade. Holiday refreshments will be served following the presentation.
The series continues on Thursday, Jan. 26 with long-time Florida journalist Cynthia Barnett, who will present Blue is the New Green: Water Sustainability and the future of Florida. Author of Mirage: Florida & the Vanishing Water of the Eastern U.S., Barnett’s book has been named by the St. Petersburg Times, as one of the top 10 books that every Floridian should read. Her new book, Blue Revolution: Unmaking America’s Water Crisis, is the first book to call for a national water ethic, and a powerful meditation on water and community in America.
On Thursday, Feb. 16 Alex Stepick, Ph.D., will address Immigration’s Impact on Florida and the United States. Dr. Stepick has been studying immigration and its impact on Miami for 30 years and has published nine books along with many journal articles and book chapters. He is director of the Immigration and Ethnicity Institute, professor of Global and Sociocultural Studies at Florida International University. His article on U.S. refugee law is still used as a definitive law school reference.
The Florida East Coast Railway: For More than 110 years America’s Speedway to Sunshine will be presented by Seth Bramson on March 22, 1012. Bramson is nationally known as America’s foremost authority on the history of transportation to, from and within Florida. He is one of only two people in the county who bear the official title of company historian with an American railroad and his book, Speedway to Sunshine: the story of the Florida East Coast Railway, is the official history of that famous line. He is the author of 22 books on south Florida local and Florida transportation history.
Concluding the series on Thursday, April 19, 2012, is Carrie Sue Ayvar on Florida Stories with Latino Sabor (flavor). A descendant of Eastern European Jews, Ayvar grew up in Pittsburg surrounded by stories. She moved to Mexico as a teenager, where she met her husband and discovered another world of stories among her newfound family and friends. Combining her childhood stories with those she has gathered during her time in Mexico and the U.S., Ayvar has developed an impressive repertoire of bilingual, cultural, folk and historical tales as she preserves the art of storytelling.
Funding for these programs was provided through a grant from the Florida Humanities Council with funds from the National Endowment for the Humanities. The series is sponsored in part by Marine Bank & Trust.
Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in these programs do not necessarily represent those of the Florida Humanities Council or the National Endowment for the Humanities.
The capacity of the Emerson Center is more than 800; free admission will be offered on a first-come-first-served basis, and no tickets are required. Reserved seating for season ticket holders of the Celebrated Speakers Series will be offered with prior telephone arrangements.
The Emerson Center is handicapped-accessible and is located at 1590 27th Avenue, on the SE corner of 16th Street and 27th Avenue in Vero Beach.
For more information, call 772-778-5249.