Cornel West, professor emeritus at Princeton University and author of more than 20 books, including the influential "Race Matters" (1994), will deliver the keynote address at the inaugural ceremony of the Institute of Gullah and African Diaspora Studies at Coastal Carolina University on Friday, Sept. 16, at 7 p.m. in Wheelwright Auditorium.

West is a professor of philosophy and Christian practice at Union Theological Seminary in New York City. A noted public intellectual and social activist, he frequently appears on CNN and C-SPAN news networks to discuss political and social issues.

CCU's Institute of Gullah and African Diaspora Studies (IGADS) is designed to examine the historical migration and scattering of African populations to local geographical areas, especially Horry and Georgetown counties, and the subsequent development and evolution of blended cultures, specifically Gullah. The work of the institute, which is housed within the Thomas W. and Robin W. Edwards College of Humanities and Fine Arts, will provide students with experiential learning opportunities, both at home and abroad, that center upon the interconnections among various local, national and global peoples and their societies. A minor in African diaspora studies has been added to academic offerings at CCU.

IGADS projects will involve collaboration among faculty, students and community to study three areas of the African Diaspora: Gullah and other local communities of Horry and Georgetown counties in South Carolina; international connections including West Africa and the Caribbean; and contemporary issues of social justice.

Veronica Gerald, CCU assistant professor of English and director of IGADS, views West as "the ideal speaker for the inaugural opening of the institute." She noted, "His uncanny ability to bring ideas and subjects together, to make things make sense when they shouldn't, to connect the dots from many directions makes him a good fit for the complexities involved in understanding the importance of a diaspora, the movement, migration, or scattering of people away from an established or ancestral homeland."

This event is part of the Nancy Smith Distinguished Visiting Lecture Series and is free and open to the public; a ticket is required for admission.

For more information about this event, contact Amy Tully at atully@coastal.edu or 843-349-2352; for tickets, call the Wheelwright Box Office at 843-349-ARTS. Box Office hours are Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The box office is located at 108 Spadoni Park Circle on the Conway campus.

For more details about IGADS, visit www.coastal.edu/IGADS or call Gerald at 843-349-2429.