Piedmont University’s Lillian E. Smith Center Hosting Free Lecture on Connections Between Jim Crow and the Holocaust

Piedmont University’s Lillian E. Smith Lecture Series continues with “Jim Crow, The Holocaust, & Today,” at 1 p.m. on Jan. 26 at the Student Commons on the Demorest campus.

The discussion will feature Dr. Thomas Aiello, professor of history and Africana studies at Valdosta State University, Dr. Chad Gibbs, director of the Zucker/Goldberg Center for Holocaust Studies at the College of Charleston, and Dr. Jelena Subotić, professor of political science at Georgia State University, as well as an introduction by Dr. Matthew Teutsch, director of Piedmont’s Lillian E. Smith Center.

“What do you think of when you think of the Holocaust? You probably think of approximately 11 million people dying, approximately 6 million Jews being murdered. You rarely — if ever — think about the connections between the Holocaust and the Jim Crow system. In fact, Jim Crow laws were part of the foundation for the Nuremberg laws,” Teutsch said.

Event panelists will explore the relationship between the Jim Crow South and Nazi Germany.

“Attendees will leave with a better understanding of the history of Jim Crow and the Holocaust. It is important that we understand that history, how it still impacts us today, and how we can use it to create a better world,” Teutsch said.

The event is being held in honor of International Holocaust Remembrance Day; it is free to attend and open to the public. Piedmont’s Demorest campus is located at 1021 Central Avenue. The event will also be available via Zoom. Email lescenter@piedmont.edu for more information about Zoom options.

Lillian E. Smith was a social activist and author of Strange Fruit, the best-selling novel about an interracial relationship that takes place in Georgia in the 1920s. Smith studied at Piedmont University. The university now owns and operates the Lillian E. Smith Center in Clayton, Georgia.

The Center offers residencies for individuals seeking an environment to pursue professional achievements and programming for area middle and high school educators.

Learn more about the Center at piedmont.edu/les.