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The Past, Present, and Future of Voting Rights

Dr. Otis Johnson and Dr. Orville Vernon Burton
Dr. Bennet Parten

Dr. Bennet Parten organized a panel, “The Past, Present, and Future of Voting Rights,” on October
20 on the Savannah campus. He brought to campus two distinguished speakers: Dr. Otis Johnson,
Armstrong State University alumnus and former mayor of Savannah, and Dr. Orville Vernon
Burton, Professor of History and Director of the Clemson Cyber Institute at Clemson University.
They spoke on the history of excluding people from voting, from the Constitution to the present day,
to an audience of about 60 students, faculty, staff, and community members, a number of whom
asked questions following the formal presentations. Afterwards, both Dr. Johnson and Dr. Burton
signed copies of their books. This panel was the Department of History’s contribution to the Telfair
Museums Legacy of Slavery in Savannah project, a multi-year, interdisciplinary, and community
engaged project. For more information: https://www.telfair.org/legacy-of-slavery/

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