Byron Hurt is an award-winning documentary filmmaker, published writer, anti-sexist activist, and lecturer.  He is also the former host of the Emmy-nominated television show, REEL WORKS with BYRON HURT.  For more than 20 years, Hurt has been using his craft, his voice, and his writings to broaden and deepen how people think about gender violence, race, music, visual media, and food justice.  As an activist, Byron has served as a gender violence prevention educator.  The former Northeastern University football quarterback was also a founding member of the Mentors in Violence Prevention (MVP) program, the leading college-based rape and domestic violence prevention initiative for college and professional athletics.  Hurt also served as an Associate Director of the first gender violence prevention program in the United States Marine Corps.   Byron’s lecture will be from 7:00 – 8:00 p.m. followed by a dessert reception from 8:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m., open to the public. 

Sponsored by the Women’s Resources Center, and Cosponsored by:  Unit One/Allen Hall, Courage Connection, YWCA, The Counseling Center, Gender and Women’s Studies, Dept of Kinesiology and Community Health, LGBT Resource Center, Bruce D. Nesbitt African American Cultural Center, The School of Social Work, and Parkland College.

Roy Zimmerman presents “This Machine” on Thursday, October 20, 2016 at 7:00 p.m. in the Main Lounge of Allen Hall, 1005 W. Gregory Drive, Urbana.  Free and open to the public, free parking is available in the garage across the street.

"This Machine" is ninety minutes of Roy Zimmerman's hilarious, rhyme-intensive original songs.  The title is a reference to Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger to be sure, but also an acknowledgement that songwriting does good work in the world.  “Sometimes I think satire is the most hopeful and heartfelt form of expression,” says Roy, “because in calling out the world's absurdities and laughing in their face, I'm affirming the real possibility for change.”   Roy’s songs have been heard on HBO and Showtime.  He's shared stages with Bill Maher, Robin Williams, Ellen DeGeneres, John Oliver, Kate Clinton and George Carlin.  He's been profiled on NPR's "All Things Considered," and he's a featured blogger for the Huffington Post.

Thanks to Laura Haber of Unit One/Allen Hall for this information item.

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