“Black Classicisms:” Celebrating the Life and Works of Professor Gail Smith

Join the college’s extended family to honor the legacy of longtime Professor Gail Smith who passed away earlier this year. This lecture is inspired by Professor Smith’s final course; like that course, it celebrates the deep connections between Black literature and classical studies. The program includes tributes to her extraordinary career and enduring legacy from Lucas Rubin (Latin/Greek Institute), Lynda Day (Mellon Mays), and Martin Ruck (Pipeline and the GC Office for Educational Opportunity and Diversity).  Finally, we will have the presentation to the family of a Latin ovatio, a lifetime achievement award from the Classical Association of the Atlantic States.

Immediately following, you are invited to a reception in the Christoph M. Kimmich Reading Room with light refreshments and an invitation to share your own memories and tributes. This event is open to the public, and we ask that you share with all those who may wish to honor Professor Smith and learn more about the subject she loved and how her work continues. RSVPs are not required, but are useful for our planning.  The RSVP form also has space to request livestream broadcast information and to leave a tribute of your own.

Please RSVP here.

More about the program:

A memorial lecture by Patrice Rankine ’92, with contributions from:

• The Latin/Greek Institute;
• Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship Program;
• CUNY Pipeline and the GC Office of Educational Opportunities and Diversity;
• The Classical Association of the Atlantic States.

A reception will follow, along with tours of the Magisterial Feminae exhibit. More information on speaker Patrice Rankine can be found here. This event is sponsored by the Wolfe Institute for the Humanities, the Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship Program, and the Departments of Classics and Africana Studies.