Flagler's "Rights Revolution" lecture series kicks off with focus on women

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Associate Professor of English Dr. Judith Burdan

ST. AUGUSTINE, FL (08/26/2014)(readMedia)-- The Community Lecture Series returns to Flagler College this fall. Throughout the 2014-2015 season, which coincides with the College's academic year, Flagler will welcome all members of the community to the historic Flagler Room-part of the original Hotel Ponce de Leon-to hear a series entitled "The Rights Revolution: Civil Rights, Human Rights, and Beyond."

The first presentation of the year will be given on September 16 at 10 a.m. by Associate Professor of English Dr. Judith Burdan who will discuss "'A Room of One's Own': Women's Rights and the Architecture of Female Space." In her essay, Virginia Woolf declares that a woman needs £500 and a room of her own in order to write. She details the ways throughout history in which female power and creativity, confined as they were to the domestic sphere, were undermined and undervalued. Give a woman financial freedom and self-possession, Woolf asserts, and she would accomplish as much as any man. But a woman's entrance into her "own room" also signaled an alarming rejection of the rest of the "house."

"Women are 'supposed' to occupy private, domestic space, and men are 'supposed' to occupy public, political, and economic space," Burdan said. Burdan's talk explores women's claiming of various "rooms"-the voting booth, the classroom, the playing field, the factory floor, and the corner office-and how these claims continue to be perceived as an encroachment on male territory and an undermining of proper female identity.

Professor Burdan earned her Ph.D. in English from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and her M.A. and her B.A. in English and English Education from the University of Florida. She specializes in 18th century British literature.

As the nation reflects on the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, each segment of the Community Lecture Series this year will feature scholars and historians who will address the philosophy and history of civil disobedience; the political, sociological, and economic impact of civil rights legislation; the current state of human rights in the nation and world; and the continuing evolution in the struggle for equal rights.

Additional programs in the fall lineup include:

· October 14: "The Rights of Citizens and the Struggle for the Environment in the Age of Globalization," presented by Dr. Art Vanden Houten.

· November 4: "Privacy as a Human Right: The Panopticon Becomes Big Brother," presented by Dr. Will Miller.

Tickets are $5 per person for a single lecture, or $15 for four lectures. Active military personnel may attend at no charge. Lectures begin at 10 a.m. in the Flagler Room at Flagler College, 74 King St. Reservations are required, but space is limited. The lecture will last approximately one hour and will be followed by a coffee and pastry reception. Call (904) 819-6282 for reservations or more information.

If you are a person with a disability and need reasonable accommodations, please contact Lynn Francisco at 904-819-6460. Sign Language Interpreters are available upon request with a minimum of three days' notice. Call (904) 819-6339 or visit www.flagler.edu/news-events/community-events/lectures/community-lecture-series for more information.

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Flagler College is a private, four-year comprehensive college located in St. Augustine, Fla. The college offers 29 majors, 34 minors and two pre-professional programs - the largest being business administration, communication, psychology and education. Small by intent, Flagler College has an enrollment of about 2,500 students, as well as a satellite campus at Tallahassee Community College in Tallahassee, Fla. U.S. News & World Report and The Princeton Review regularly feature Flagler as a college that offers quality education at a relatively low cost. A Flagler education is less than half the cost of similar private colleges, and competitive with many state universities. A relatively young institution (founded in 1968), Flagler College is also noted for its historic beauty. The centerpiece of the campus is the former Hotel Ponce de Leon, a grand resort built in 1888 by Henry M. Flagler, an industrialist, railroad pioneer and co-founder of Standard Oil. The Ponce has been designated as a National Historic Landmark. For more on Flagler College, visit www.flagler.edu.