The Honorable David Lammy, member of British Parliament, will be Constitution Week's featured speaker Sept. 15 at 7 p.m. in Jobe Auditorium. Each year, Delta State University’s Madison Center honors the U.S. Constitution around Sept. 17 — the original adoption date of the Constitution in 1787.
Under the direction of the Madison Center’s Dr. Garry Jennings, and Michael Ewing, instructor in the College of Arts and Sciences, this year’s Constitution Week at Delta State features the Honorable David Lammy, member of British Parliament.
Lammy will be the highlight speaker Sept. 15 at 7 p.m. in Jobe Auditorium. His speech is titled “A Comparison of the British and American Constitutions.” The event is sponsored by the Madison Center, Student Government Association and the Mississippi Humanities Council.
Lammy, born in Tottenham, England in 1972, studied law at the School of Oriental and African Studies Law School in London. Admitted to the Bar of England and Wales in 1994, he then obtained his Masters in Law at Harvard Law School in 1997. He was elected to Parliament at the age of 27 in 2000.
He is the author of “Out of the Ashes: Britain after the riots,” a book about the 2011 United Kingdom riots and what must be done to prevent them from happening again. All proceeds from the book are being donated to Tottenham-based charities. Lammy has authored countless articles for national newspapers, including the Guardian, the Independent, the New Statesman and the Spectator.
Jennings is thrilled to host a speaker who can provide an alternative perspective on the U.S. Constitution.
“Americans rarely have a chance to visit with a member of British Parliament,” said Jennings. “Even rarer is the opportunity we will have in hosting Mr. Lammy. Students will be able to listen to a man who serves in a legislature with a 900-year history and who shares many of our principles associated with democracy, human rights, equality and a dedication to social justice.
“Britain has been our partner and ally for many years, and Mr. Lammy will offer Delta State students an opportunity to learn about another constitutional system of government that compares in very interesting ways with our own.”
Jennings is also looking forward to developing connections with Lammy, seeking ways to interact during course trips to the United Kingdom, and to offer British students an opportunity to visit Delta State and the Mississippi Delta.
Last spring, British writing instructor David Mathews — a good friend of Lammy’s — was invited to speak at Delta State by Ewing. These connections sparked Lammy’s unique opportunity to be hosted by Delta State.
The Madison Center for the Study of Democracy, Human Rights and the Constitution is a self-supporting center of excellence at Delta State. It offers students opportunities to learn about the fundamentals of politics, the U.S. Constitution and the role that citizens can play in their democracy.
Along with honoring America’s founding document during Constitution Week each year, the center supports the Nellie Nugent Somerville Lecture every two years, the Washington Center Internship and the Madison Memorial Foundation Fellowship. The center also supports, plans and guides students on course trips, including the Belfast Lectures, the Rome/Florence Republicanism Trip, and the Colonial and Revolutionary New England trip.
For more information, contact the Madison Center at 662-846-4087 or by email at jennings@deltastate.edu.
