The registration deadline for Becoming Alabama: Who, What, When, Where and Why is January 15!
The two-day public symposium will take place on January 21-22 at the Hotel at Auburn University and Dixon Conference Center. It will feature scholars and professionals exploring the role of the press and media from the 1814 massacre at Fort Mims, a galvanizing event in Alabama and U.S. history, through the Gulf Oil Spill.
The symposium is a Becoming Alabama event. Designed to commemorate major Alabama anniversaries of the Creek War/War of 1812, the Civil War and Emancipation and the Civil Rights era, Becoming Alabama is a statewide initiative begun by the Alabama Department of Archives and History.
Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Rick Bragg will join syndicated columnist Rheta Grimsley Johnson in offering perspectives on writing and media representations of the state. Tony Barnhart, Mr. College Football and CBS Sports journalist, will talk about the state’s fascination with sports. Prominent scholars of history and media from Auburn University, as well as other institutions, will also present on topics ranging from how early newspapers supported an emerging literary culture in the state to how a handful of remarkable editors shaped both Alabama’s opinion and its image.
The conference will kick-off with a pre-conference on Alabama archives that hold newspapers and other media resources. Registration for the conference is $25. Registration for meals, which will feature keynote speakers, is separate. Students may register at no cost. For a schedule and a list of presenters, visit our website or call 334-844-4946.
