Andrew Young to speak on Tom Dent

Former United States Ambassador to the United Nations Andrew Young will speak in a Tom Dent Congo Square Lecture to commemorate an exhibition celebrating the life and career of New Orleans poet, playwright, and oral historian Tom Dent (1932-1998) currently on display at the Amistad Research Center.

Young, a New Orleans native, grew up with Tom Dent, and the two men shared many struggles in the fight for civil rights in the 1960s. Co-sponsored by the Amistad Research Center and the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation, Young's talk, "My Journey with Tom," will take place on September 8 at 7 p.m. at Tulane University's Dixon Hall. Admission is free.

The Amistad exhibition, "Tom Dent: A Heavy Trip Through the South," examines Dent's life and career through his many literary artifacts, including letters, manuscripts, photographs and more. The exhibition runs through September 30th. Young's association with Tom Dent is detailed in the Tom Dent Papers at the Center, which also houses the papers of Andrew Young's mother, Daisy F. Young.

UPDATE: You can view a few images of Andrew young talk and visit to Amistad here.

Posted by Christopher Harter

(Image provided courtesy of Andrew Young. May not be reproduced without permission.)

Tom Dent Reception and Exhibition

Thank you to everyone who attended and participated in the Center's reception honoring the life of New Orleans writer Tom Dent and the opening of the exhibition Tom Dent: A Heavy Trip Through the South.  From old-time friends to young students who were introduced to Tom's work, the evening was filled with food, drink, stories, poems, remembrances, and laughter. Photographs from the evening can be found on Amistad's Facebook page, and are courtesy of Nika B. Carter. The Center sends a special thank you to the evening's featured speakers: John O'Neal, Kalamu ya Salaam,  and Quo Vadis Breaux, as well as Brenda Marie Osbey, who read her poem "Requiem for a Tall Man" in honor of Tom.

l-r: Quo Vadis Breaux, Kalamu ya Salaam, and John O'Neal

Portions of the finding aid for the Tom Dent Papers are now online, and the entire finding aid should be completed by the end of August.

Posted by Christopher Harter

(Image from the Amistad Research Center by Nika B. Carter. May not be reproduced without permission.)