Evenings at Whitney 450th Talk—Significance of St. Augustine to the national civil rights movement!

Dr. David R. Colburn, Director of the Bob Graham Center for Public Service at the University of Florida, will talk about the significance of St. Augustine to the national civil rights movement in the early 1960s and why Dr. King chose to lead demonstrations in the nation’s oldest city. Colburn’s teaching and research have focused on politics, race and ethnicity in Twentieth Century America. He was named teacher-of-the-year on three occasions and has authored or edited fourteen books, including: From Yellow Dog Democrats to Red State Republicans (2013), Florida’s Megatrends with Lance deHaven-Smith (2010), and Racial Change and Community Crisis (1995) and has written over 250 essays on state, national and international politics.

He has served as a Distinguished Lecturer for the Organization of American Historians, a professional organization of over 8,000 members, and as a Roads Scholar for the Florida Humanities Council, speaking internationally, nationally and statewide on history and politics. He has appeared on many news programs to discuss civil rights, race relations, state and national politics, and international political developments.

He formerly served as provost and senior vice president at the University of Florida, November, 1999 to January, 2005, Chairman of the Department of History, 1981-1989, and Vice Provost and Dean of the International Center at the University of Florida, 1997-1999.

Colburn served as President of the Florida Historical Society, Chair of the Florida Humanities Council, and Chair of the National Federation of State Humanities Council. In 2015, he was named the 2015 recipient of the Dorothy Dodd Lifetime Achievement Award by the Florida Historical Society for his scholarly writing.

He is a Vietnam Veteran and also served as a Fellow in the United States Senate from 1993 to 1997 where he worked on national and international issues. He was also the founder and director of the Reubin O’D. Askew Institute on Politics and Society at the University of Florida. In 1999, the Askew Institute received the Distinguished Community Service Award from the Florida Board of Regents for its service to the State of Florida and the nation.

The Whitney Lab is excited to have Dr. Colburn here to speak to the community, as we celebrate the vast history of St. Augustine in its 450th year.