A scholar and statesman, the Honorable Dr. Eric Eustace Williams (1911-1981) led Trinidad and Tobago for over a quarter of a century. He oversaw the country’s independence from Britain in 1962 and 1976 transition to a Republic. Williams served as Prime Minister until his death in 1981.
In April 2021, the Eric Williams Memorial Lecture (EWML) moved from Florida International University to its new home at the John L. Warfield Center for African and African American Studies at The University of Texas at Austin. To mark the occasion, the BDA collaborated with the Eric Williams Memorial Collection Research Library, Archives & Museum at The University of the West Indies, Trinidad and Tobago, and the staff of the Alma Jordan Library at The University of the West Indies, Trinidad and Tobago to create the online exhibition, Celebrating Eric Williams.
The 2021 digital lecture includes a lineup of past EWML speakers reflecting on Eric Williams’s legacy. All videos can be viewed here.
Friday, April 9th- Living the Legacy from Trinidad and Tobago and Beyond: A conversation with Erica Williams Connell and Dr. Arnold Rampersad, moderated by Dr. Lorraine Leu
Friday, April 16th- Bridging Community Knowledge and Scholarship: Dr. Carole Boyce Davies on the Genesis of the Eric Williams Memorial Lecture, moderated by Dr. Jennifer Wilks
Friday, April 23rd- Apex of Change: Intersecting the Academic, Historic and Political: A conversation with Sir Hilary Beckles on the international effect of Eric Williams’s work, moderated by Dr. Minkah Makalani
Friday, April 30th- Calypso as an Art Form of Resistance: A conversation between calypsonian Drs. Hollis “Chalkdust” Liverpool and Meagan Sylvester