November 5, 2022 was a day for discussion and deliberation, organized by the Ancient to the Future Project and hosted by the Lamar University Center for History and Culture of Southeast Texas and the Upper Gulf Coast
Event flyer
Event program including speaker bios
Entire day-long video on Facebook
Separate session videos with detailed program below.
A Day of Discussion on Extreme Weather and Inequality
What do Southeast Texans Think
And What Do We Do?
Beaumont—Port Arthur—Jefferson County
9:00 am – 5:00 pm on Saturday, November 5, 2022
8th floor of the Mary and John Gray Library at Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas
This event was open to the public, free with advanced registration, lunch included, streaming option
Welcome video
Dann Brown, Lamar University Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs (starts at 00:02.40)
Chris Durio, Beaumont Mayor Pro Tem (00:05.51)
Dave Williams, Ancient to the Future (00:08.10)
Jimmy Bryan, Professor of History and Director of Lamar University’s Center for History and Culture of Southeast Texas and the Upper Gulf Coast (00:10.44)
Panel 1: History video
Alex Perez / Strong Wind, Karankawa tribal historian and cultural advisor (00:02.40)
Judy Linsley, historian (00:14.30)
David Willard, Middle School Dean of Students at All Saints Episcopal School, and Commissioner, Port of Beaumont (00:28.15)
Jim Sanderson, novelist and professor and chair of the Lamar University English department (00:43.40)
Kate Williams (chair), Ancient to the Future / University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign
Panel 2: Economic and Social Inequality video
Jeff Darby, President, Sabine Area Central Labor Council (00:01.25)
Paula O’Neal, recently retired executive director, Some Other Place (00:15.47)
Fred Vernon, II, founder, KLV Enterprises (00:31.30)
Barbara Azalia Wilson, Owner, BAW Resale (00:46.25)
Dave Williams (chair), Ancient to the Future
Panel 3: African American and Latinx Inequality video
Jesse Garcia, Assistant Professor of Sociology, Lamar University (00:00.35)
Vernon Durden, 100 Black Men of Beaumont (00:14.43)
Michael Cooper, NAACP (00:28.20)
John Beard, Port Arthur Community Action Network (PACAN) (00:43.05)
Abdul Alkalimat (chair), Ancient to the Future / University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign
Panel 4: Extreme Weather video
Margot Gage Witvliet, Assistant Professor of Sociology and Interim Associate Director of Lamar University’s Center for History and Culture of Southeast Texas and the Upper Gulf Coast (00:00.00)
Ellen Buchanan, Big Thicket National Heritage Trust (00:04.56)
Chanelle Stigger, Meteorologist, National Weather Service, Lake Charles, LA (00:20.12) slides, video 1, video 2
Chris Jones, Diadem Enterprise / South End Charlton-Pollard Greater Historic Community Association (00:39.07)
Hilton Kelley, Community In-Power and Development Association, Inc. (00:54.12)
Margot Gage Witvliet (chair)
Panel 5: The Future video
Bryan Gross, United Steelworkers (01:32.30)
Jimmy Bryan, Lamar University (01:37.09)
Kaitlin Bain, Beaumont Enterprise (01:52.40)
Dave Williams, Ancient to the Future (02:06.40)
Kate Williams (chair)