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BATON ROUGE – The Reilly Center for Media & Public Affairs at LSU’s Manship School of Mass Communication will host the season five opener of Racism: Dismantling the System, “Narrative Shifting: Centering the Humanity of the Enslaved on Plantations” on Sept. 13 at 3:30 p.m. CT. The discussion will explore how plantations have historically presented the story of slavery and solutions to change these distorted narratives.

Louisiana is home to some of the grandest and most notable plantation homes in the United States. The upcoming installment will tell the true story of plantations and examine the responsibility of plantations to change the narrative to accurately honor the millions of enslaved peoples whose lives and legacies are irrevocably tied to these places.

The event will be in person at the Whitney Plantation, the only museum in Louisiana with an exclusive focus on the lives of enslaved people. Joy Banner, director of communications at Whitney Plantation, played a pivotal role in cultivating the partnership between the museum and series partners. Through her work, she strives to shed light on the true history of the plantation.

“The history of plantations is too often watered down to hide the past. That’s why we focus on centering the stories and humanness of the enslaved people who endured countless atrocities on these lands to tell the story of the Whitney Plantation,” Banner said. “We’re pleased to be a part of a conversation that addresses the true nature of plantation estates, instead of the idyllic and inaccurate portrayals we often see.”

The event is free and open to the public. Registration via Eventbrite is required. This episode will be broadcast live exclusively on the Louisiana Budget Project’s Facebook page, and a recording will be available on the Manship School’s YouTube channel.

The Racism: Dismantling the System series is a partnership with Southern University and A&M College’s Nelson Mandela College of Government and Social Sciences, Loyola University New Orleans, Louisiana Budget Project, NAACP Louisiana State Conference and the LSU Office of Diversity & Inclusion.

For more information, contact acharbonnet1@lsu.edu.

The Reilly Center for Media & Public Affairs is partnership-driven, action-oriented and dedicated to exploring contemporary issues at the intersection of mass communication and public life. Its interdisciplinary approach draws together experts from diverse fields to advance research and dialogue. The intent is to inspire our communities to think deeply, take action, develop solutions and broaden knowledge. Underlying the Center’s endeavors is to strengthen and advance the Manship School’s national and state leadership in media and politics.

LSU’s Manship School of Mass Communication ranks among the strongest collegiate communication programs in the country, with its robust emphasis on media and public affairs. It offers undergraduate degrees in public relations, journalism, political communication, digital advertising and pre-law, along with four graduate degree programs: Master of Mass Communication, Ph.D. in Media and Public Affairs, Certificate of Strategic Communication and a dual MMC/Law degree. Like us on Facebook @ManshipSchool, or follow us on Twitter @ManshipSchool, Instagram @ManshipSchool and LinkedIn LSU Manship School of Mass Communication.