Beginning last spring and continuing this fall semester, Stetson’s Free Inquiry & Expression and the Future of Democracy Series has delivered on its promise of national speakers, panel discussions and civil discourse.

This Wednesday, Sept. 17, is no exception, as Desmond Meade, president of the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition, speaks on campus in the Rinker Welcome Center’s Lynn Presentation Room, beginning at 7 p.m. The free event is open to all students, faculty and staff, as well as the local community. (Cultural credit is available for students.)

Actually, given Meade’s credentials, the event can be described as exceptional. He is a Ford Global Fellow, presented to “tenacious individuals with the deepest knowledge of the issues that affect them and the boldest ideas for building a brighter future for us all.” Also, Meade is a 2021 MacArthur “Genius” Fellow, given to people with “extraordinary originality and dedication in their creative pursuits and a marked capacity for self-direction.” And, for good measure, he was recognized in 2019 as one of Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in the World.

Florida’s Amendment 4

Meade will share his personal journey from incarceration to leading one of the most significant expansions of democracy in recent U.S. history — Florida’s Amendment 4, which restored voting rights to more than 1.4 million people with past felony convictions. In addition, he will explore the meaning of citizenship, the promise of the Constitution and the ongoing struggle to ensure all voices are heard. Plus, those attending can learn about opportunities to volunteer with the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition.

Expect powerful messages delivered by an impactful leader, said Rev. Caitlin White Swann, associate director of Stetson’s Center for Dialogue and Civic Action.

“Stetson is already nationally recognized for having some of the most engaged student voters in the country — young people who are not only committed to participating in our democracy, but also deeply invested in the local community,” Swann commented. “At a time when many institutions are stepping back from civic education and dialogue, Stetson is choosing to lean in. Hosting Desmond Meade, one of Florida’s most influential voices on voting rights and civil rights today, powerfully underscores our mission and will help carry this work forward in transformative ways.”