Gillian Richards-Greaves, an assistant professor of history at Coastal Carolina University, will speak about the contradictory views on the role of the kweh-kweh wedding ritual in the African Guyanese community. Her talk, "Navigating the boundaries of 'salvation' and identity in African Guyanese kweh-kweh rituals," will take place on Wednesday, Feb. 25, at 4 p.m. in the Johnson Auditorium. This event is free and open to the public.

Guyanese of African descent in Guyana, South America, and in New York City celebrate a pre-wedding ritual called kweh-kweh. On the eve of a wedding ceremony, "nations" (relatives, friends, and representatives) of the bride and groom come together to provide marital instructions to the soon-to-be married couple through music, proverbial speech, storytelling and other ritual performances. However, while some view kweh-kweh as crucial to their cultural identity, others regard it as the remnant of an uncivilized African past.

In this presentation, Richards-Greaves will discuss the ways that African Guyanese Christians and "Africanists" in New York City manipulate their religious beliefs in order to construct new African-Guyanese-American identities.

The Johnson Auditorium is in Room 116 of the E. Craig Wall Sr. College of Business Administration, located at 119 Chanticleer Drive E. in Conway.

For more information, call Richards-Greaves at 843-349-6459 or email at grichards@coastal.edu.