CCSU’s Amistad Committee and Center for Africana Studies hosted the 14th annual Amistad Lecture on Feb. 28 in Alumni Hall as part of Black History Month. This year’s guest speaker was Professor Sir Hilary Beckles (above), vice chancellor of the University of the West Indies, who presented “The Global Reparatory Justice Movement: 21st Century Enlightenment and the Legacy of the Amistad.” CCSU President Zulma R. Toro later presented Beckles with the University’s Amistad Award, given in recognition of his work in international university leadership and his activism in support of social justice and minority empowerment.

The Amistad Committee launched the Amistad Lecture series in 2003 to preserve and protect the history and legacy of the Amistad; honor the experience of the captives aboard the Amistad; and relate the events to the universal aspirations for human dignity and freedom.