Stephanie Mitchem, an associate professor at USC with a joint appointment in religious studies and women's studies, will discuss "Heroism and Community in A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest J. Gaines" as part of the Benedict College Big Read Program from noon to 1 p.m., Feb. 27 at the S.C. State Library, 1500 Senate St.

Stephanie Mitchem

Attendees are invited to bring a bag lunch.

A Lesson Before Dying is the story of an uneducated young black man named Jefferson who is accused of murdering a white storekeeper, and a college-educated native son of Louisiana, Grant Wiggins, who teaches at a plantation school.

The novel poses one of the most essential questions literature can ask: Knowing we're going to die, how should we live?

According to Mitchem, the novel spurs reflection on the "heroic" in black communities along with trying to define "the black community." These definitions may not match those of the majority culture and, Mitchem suggests, there are lessons to learn in the distinctions.

Using A Lesson Before Dying as its center for engagement, the Benedict Big Read project will launch a citywide essay contest, panel analysis, dramatization, and other interdisciplinary activities to encourage community reading, discussion, and interaction. For more information, go to www.benedict.edu.

Mitchem holds a Ph.D. from Northwestern University-Garrett Evangelical Theological Seminary and a master's degree from St. John Provincial Seminary. She focuses her research on exploring the rich religious contexts and meanings of African-American women and men, while critiquing social injustices in American society. Her most recent book is African-American Folk Healing (NYU Press).