October 10, 2023
SIU’s Paul Simon Institute to host award-winning author Samuel Freedman
CARBONDALE, Ill. – Samuel Freedman, an award-winning author and professor at Columbia University’s School of Journalism, will join the Southern Illinois University Carbondale’s Paul Simon Public Policy Institute on Oct. 19 for a virtual discussion on the quest to advance civil rights in the United States.
Freedman and John Shaw, institute director, will also discuss statesmanship and journalism and Freedman’s 2023 book, “Into the Bright Sunshine: Young Hubert Humphrey and the Fight for Civil Rights.”
The virtual discussion via Zoom is at 10 a.m. The online program is free and open to the public, but registration is required. The conversation is part of the institute’s “Understanding Our New World” discussion series. Visit paulsimoninstitute.org/events to register.
Freedman has been a staff reporter and columnist for The New York Times and is the author of 10 books, including “Letters to a Young Journalist.”
“Samuel Freedman is one of the most compelling writers in the United States,” Shaw said. “His books are richly textured and confront difficult issues and challenging themes. They describe brave people who have changed American history.
“His new book chronicles young Hubert Humphrey before he was a United States senator and vice president of the United States. Freedman describes his bold effort as a young mayor to champion civil rights, taking on a large and powerful faction in his own party.”
Freedman, who grew up in New Jersey, has an undergraduate degree in journalism and history from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Attendees are encouraged to submit questions for Freedman on the registration form or email questions to paulsimoninstitute@siu.edu.
More information, a list of the institute’s upcoming events and past speakers and events are available.