JULY 1, 2009

Inquiring Mind, an acclaimed lecture series sponsored by Humanities Washington and the National Endowment for the Humanities, will include On American Soil author Jack Hamann in its 2009-2010 program.

Inquiring Mind offers libraries, museums, schools and community organizations an opportunity to bring some of Washington’s finest scholars, authors, musicians and actors to local communities for engaging and entertaining educational programs.

Hamann's presentation is called Speaking Truth to Power: Modern Lessons from an Historic Injustice. Hamann will speak about how an epic struggle between truth and justice forever changed the lives of dozens of African American soldiers stationed at Washington’s Fort Lawton. Charged with rioting and with the lynching of an Italian prisoner of war, the soldiers endured the largest and longest Army court-martial of World War II. More than six decades later, the discovery of formerly top secret documents in the National Archives led to an historic verdict reversal and an unprecedented apology from the U.S. Government. Based on his book On American Soil: How Justice Became a Tragedy of WWII, Hamann’s presentation is appropriate for teenage audiences and up. It has been particularly well-received by schools, colleges and universities, plus those with interest in military history, NW history, civil rights, legal history, black history and Italian-American history.

Washington state organizations interested in scheduling Jack Hamann should visit the Inquiring Mind page of the Humanities Washington website. Events are booked on a first-come, first-served basis.