Senior Fellows Honors Program Hosts Lecture by Public Enemy’s Harry Allen Feb. 11

AUSTIN, Texas – Feb. 4, 2015 – Senior Fellows, the honors program of The University of Texas at Austin Moody College of Communication, will host a talk by Harry Allen, journalist, hip-hop activist and “media assassin” for the band Public Enemy on Wednesday, Feb. 11 from 4 to 5:15 p.m. at the Belo Center for New Media on campus. The event is free and open to the public

Harry Allen was known as “media assassin” for Public Enemy, arguably the most important rap group in history. In his position as “director of Enemy relations,” Allen spoke to the media to correct misconceptions about the group’s confrontational politics, occasionally adding commentary to musical tracks, such as the closing refrain from “Don’t Believe the Hype.” In this talk, Allen will discuss early photos of group members Chuck D, Flavor Flav and others as they were experimenting with the possibilities of a revolutionary art form that would speak to racial injustice more meaningfully than mainstream media and culture.

WHEN: 4—5:15 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 11

WHERE: Belo Center for New Media second-floor auditorium, BMC 2.106 (http://www.utexas.edu/maps/main/buildings/bmc.html)

BACKGROUND: Allen writes about race, politics and culture in his blog, Media Assassin, as well as for publications such as VIBE Magazine, The Source and The Village Voice. He is the host and producer of the weekly radio show “NONFICTION” on WBAI in New York, and he serves as an advisor to the Archives of African American Music and Culture at Indiana University.

The event is sponsored by the Senior Fellows Program, the Department of American Studies and the African American Culture Committee.

About The University of Texas at Austin Moody College of Communication

One of the nation's foremost institutions for the study of advertising and public relations, communication sciences and disorders, communication studies, journalism and radio-TV-film, The University of Texas at Austin Moody College of Communication is preparing students to thrive in an era of media convergence. Serving more than 4,700 undergraduate and graduate students, the Moody College is nationally recognized for its faculty members, research and student media. For more information about the Moody College, visit http://moody.utexas.edu.

###

Contacts: Dave Junker,  (512) 773-0673; Nick Hundley, (512) 471-7209