WKU News

Dr. Carol M. Swain, professor of political science and law at Vanderbilt University, will present two lectures at WKU on Thursday and Friday.

Dr. Swain will present “Black, Conservative, and Unashamed: My Life as a Public Intellectual” at 4 p.m. Thursday (Jan. 31) at WKU’s Faculty House.

Dr. Swain shares her political evolution and explores the intersection between scholarship, faith and activism. From early tenure at Princeton University to her present position at Vanderbilt University, she has become an outspoken advocate for traditional values and principles. Last year, she created and launched a television show called “Be the People.” Named after her latest book, the show refers to “We the People” in the Constitution’s Preamble and calls for “the People” to stand up and take responsibility for our nation’s condition.

The lecture is sponsored by Department of Political Science, African American Studies, Gender & Women’s Studies, and the Institute for Citizenship & Social Responsibility.

At 7:30 a.m. Friday (Feb. 1) at the Faculty House, Dr. Swain will discuss “Religious Freedom, Vanderbilt University, and the Trampling of Civil Liberties.”

Vanderbilt has recently become the center of controversy for its decision to require student religious organizations to allow those who do not hold the organizations’ convictions into positions of leadership in the organizations. Dr. Swain believes that this policy tramples upon the groups’ civil liberties and religious freedoms. Many faculty, students, and alumni see the policy as a veiled effort to push student religious groups off campus. Dr. Swain reports on the campus response to this policy and explores the ethical, moral, and constitutional issues posed by this development.

The presentation is sponsored by the Christian Faculty & Staff Fellowship at WKU.

About Carol M. Swain: From high school dropout and teenage mother to esteemed Vanderbilt University law professor, Carol M. Swain is passionate about empowering others to confidently raise their conservative voices in the public square. Dr. Swain’s education and experiences make her a credible and powerful force for change in today’s social and political climate where conservatives are intimidated to champion an often-unpopular message.

She’s a frequent guest on Hannity’s: Great American Panel on Fox News and appeared regularly on CNN’s Lou Dobbs Tonight. She has also appeared on BBC Radio, NPR, CNN’s AC360 (with Anderson Cooper), Fox News Live, PBS’s NewsHour (with Jim Lehrer), C-SPAN’s Washington Journal and ABC’s Headline News and has testified multiple times before Congress.

Dr. Swain’s published works have achieved many accolades. Her highly acclaimed book, Black Faces, Black Interests: The Representation of African Americans in Congress, has received numerous awards.

A widely recognized expert on race relations, immigration, black leadership and evangelical politics, Dr. Swain has served on the Tennessee Advisory Committee to the U.S. Civil Rights Commission and is currently a member of the National Endowment for the Humanities Council.

Contact: Larry Caillouet, (270) 202-8442.