August 14, 2007

LIVINGSTON, Ala.--U.S. Rep. Artur Davis will host a town hall meeting Monday, Aug. 20 at 6 p.m. in Livingston at the Bell Conference Center on the University of West Alabama campus. In addition to hearing the thoughts and concerns of area residents, Davis will address students enrolled in BY 408: Natural History of the Black Belt.

The congressman’s town hall meeting will serve as the opening lecture for the course, which is designed to engage students in regional study of the area and is focused on helping them define for themselves an answer to the question, “What is the Black Belt?” For this course, the definition will come from the study of natural history with guest lecturers speaking throughout the semester on geography, geology, archeology and biology. In addition, the course will provide students with a hands-on approach with archeological and geological field trips to Fort Tombecbe, prairie sites in the region and small towns of the area. The course will cross discipline lines as guest lectures on history and culture will also be incorporated into the semester-long course.

Natural History of the Black Belt meets Monday evenings from 5:45-8:15 p.m. in Bibb Graves Hall. Dr. Andrew Rindsberg will oversee the course. For questions about the class, please contact Rindsberg at arindsberg@uwa.edu.

The town hall meeting is open to the public, and the public is encouraged to attend to hear Davis' own vision of the Black Belt as an opening to the course of Natural History of the Black Belt.