Sunday Speaker Series 2026
All events Sundays at 2 p.m.
Free admission, refreshments, onsite parking.
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Funding for this program was provided through a grant from Florida Humanities with funds from the National Endowment for the Humanities: Democracy demands wisdom. Additional support is provided by the Jacarlene Foundation. Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this program do not necessarily represent those of Florida Humanities, the National Endowment for the Humanities, or the Jacarlene Foundation.
Sunday, Sept. 20,
Golden Harvest: The Music and Traditions of the Greek Spongers of Tarpon Springs
Panayotis League, Ph.D.
Since Tarpon Springs’s sponge diving industry began in the early 1900s, traditional Greek music, dance, and poetry have been at the center of the community. Much of this derives from the culture that grew around sponging on Greek islands over the centuries -- from joyful dances to laments mourning divers lost. Panayotis League, Ph.D. , Assistant Professor of Ethnomusicology at FSU and Greek music performer, explores the rich cultural history of Tarpon Springs through its music, including live performances on violin, lute, goatskin bagpipes, and songs in Greek and English.
Sunday, Oct. 18
Recovering and Preserving the 19th Century Cuban Émigré Press of Florida and New York
Dr. Denis Rey (University of Tampa), introduces an extraordinary initiative to preserve the newspapers published by the Cuban immigrant communities of Ybor City, Key West, and New York City during a period of revolutionary zeal against Spain and calls for Cuba libre. We will listen to and contextualize some of the wonderful voices found between the pages of these elusive publications.
Denis Rey, Ph.D.
Sunday, Nov. 15
The Right to Stay in Florida During Times of Increased Immigration Enforcement
In light of federal and state immigration policies that have extended surveillance, detention, and deportability into local communities, Dr. Elizabeth Aranda, (University of South Florida) examines how these conditions shape Florida immigrants’ sense of belonging and conceptions of home, and how they assert a moral and practical right to stay in the United States.
Elizabeth Aranda, Ph.D.
Sunday, Dec. 13
Dalia Colon
Bread & Belonging: The Immigrant Food Cultures of Tampa Bay.
Take a journey around the world without leaving Tampa as we explore how immigrant food traditions continue to nourish our community's culture and identity. With Dalia Colon, host and executive producer of The Zest podcast for WUSF Radio, associate producer/co-host of WEDU (Tampa) Arts Plus, and author of The Florida Vegetarian Cookbook.