First, the National Civil Rights Museum is hosting a four-part national convening entitled “The Reckoning, The Resolve, The Restoration, and The Resilience.” Dedicated to starting critical conversations about racial justice, the series kicks off on Thursday at 7pm with “The Reckoning: Community Policing and Accountability.” The discussion will be moderated by MSNBC’s Joy Reid with a panel of speakers that includes Tyre Nichols’ parents, their attorney Benjamin Crump, and other social justice advocates. The event is free to attend in-person or virtually, but registration is required.
Then, on Friday at 5pm, be a part of the very first showing of the Vessantara Jataka at Rhodes College. This collection of extraordinarily rare 19th century paintings tells a popular story from one of the Buddha’s past lives. A compassionate prince, Vessantara, gives away everything he owns, including his children, thereby displaying the virtue of perfect generosity. Dr. Rebecca Hall from USC’s Asia Pacific Museum will explain the story and its importance to Theravada Buddhism in her lecture, “A Complicated Tale of Perfect Generosity”. A reception will follow, along with a chance to view the 14 treasured artworks.
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