Pssst...I wannabe white - Lillian Holt, Internationally Renowned Cultural Critic and Humorist Makes Her U.S. Debut in Boston

Lillian Holt, indigenous Australian humorist, makes her Boston debut in dialogue with senior editor and cultural critic Jessica Roemischer of What Is Enlightenment? magazine.

Cambridge, MA (PRWEB) March 12, 2005 -- Beyond Ethnicity to Authenticity": Indigenous Australian cultural critic and humorist, Lillian Holt, makes her U.S. debut in Cambridge as part of the Voices from the Edge speakers series. On Wednesday, March 30, 7:30pm Holt will be in dialogue with Jessica Roemischer, senior editor at What Is Enlightenment? magazine. The event will be at 38 Cameron, 38 Cameron Ave., Suite 100, Cambridge, just off Massachusetts Ave. near the Cambridge/Arlington line; 5 minute walk from Davis Sq. and the Red Line. The evening will include the talk, followed by audience Q&A and a reception with the two women. Tickets: $18, students w/ID $10, available at the door. Wheelchair accessible. For more information, log on to 38cameron.com or call 617-492-4091. Reservations strongly recommended since space is limited.

Lillian Holt is available for interviews through Kenzo An, 617.407.2558.

Lillian Holt, internationally renowned cultural critic and humorist on issues of racism and reconciliation will be making her first U.S. public appearance in Cambridge as part of the Voices from the Edge speakers series sponsored by What Is Enlightenment? magazine (WIE). On Wednesday, March 30, at 7:30pm. Holt will be engaging in dialogue with Jessica Roemischer, senior editor with What Is Enlightenment? magazine. They will be addressing the necessity for individuals and cultures to go beyond our current societal barriers based on race, creed, and class. The event will be followed by a Q&A session and a reception attended by Holt and Roemischer.    

Lillian Holt is a pioneer in the public debate on issues of ethnicity and race relations in Australia. Born on the Cherbourg Aboriginal Settlement in Queensland, Holt is part of the first wave of Aboriginal people granted the legal right to graduate from university in the 1960s. She has been working in indigenous education for more than thirty years, speaking extensively both in Australia and internationally. As a native minority in Australia, she often uses humor to confront sensitive topics about racism and reconciliation.

Theres this old indigenous guy of about seventy, sitting on a slag heap and reflecting on his life. He says, 'Hmm... First of all, they called me uncivilized, then a savage, then a pagan, then a heathen, then a victim, and then I was called handicapped, deprived, marginalized, deficient... I dont know if my position in life has changed much, but Ive sure got one hell of a vocabulary!"

Holts bold and empowered perspective on racial problems and their destructive effect gives her keen insight into our current crises and some potential solutions. This is precisely the reason she is speaking as part of the Voices from the Edge series, which presents thought-leaders and visionaries from all walks of life whose mission is to challenge their audience to stretch beyond familiar ways of thinking. Lillian Holt sheds new light on an issue that lies at the heart of our global predicament-the challenge to truly meet beyond our cultural differences and disparities," says Jessica Roemischer of WIE magazine. Her willingness to question prevailing views on indigenous culture, including those that idealize and privilege 'ethnicity, makes her a rare and refreshing voice as we seek to forge authentic relationships across racial and ethnic divides."

Holt and Roemischer first met at the Quest for Global Healing Conference in Bali, 2004, an international conference featuring Nobel Peace Prize laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu as the keynote speaker. An interview between Holt and Roemischer from the conference can be heard online at wie.org/unbound.

Lillian Holt currently holds the position of vice chancellor's fellow at the University of Melbourne. Prior to this appointment in 2003, she was the director of the Centre for Indigenous Education, also at the University of Melbourne. She is currently pursuing her PhD in Aboriginal humor. For a full biography on Holt, go to wie.org/bios/lillian-holt.asp

Jessica Roemischer, senior editor and cultural critic at WIE magazine, is author of the seminal article on the work of geopolitical activist Dr. Don Beck, whose theory of cultural development played a central role in the ending of apartheid and the peaceful creation of a democratic South Africa. Her article has become the most widely recommended primer on this theory, and her recognized expertise has brought her to think tanks and trans-partisan political groups around the world. wie.org/bios/jessica-roemischer.asp

For more information about Lillian Holts event visit wie.org/voices or call 617.407.2558.

What Is Enlightenment? magazine is published quarterly by What Is Enlightenment? Press, a non-profit, educational organization dedicated to a revolution in human consciousness and culture. WIE also sponsors the Voices from the Edge speaker series which offers an annual calendar of lectures and seminars featuring innovative thinkers and prominent leaders in various fields of expertise. WIE has an international readership of 75,000 and is celebrating its thirteenth year in print. wie.org

38 Cameron is a unique gallery and event center with a broad offering of public events including film presentations, speaker events and discussions. By creating and hosting public forums to explore different areas of interest, it is fast becoming a thriving community cultural center in North Cambridge. 38 Cameron is available for rent as a venue. 38cameron.com

-submitted by Kenzo An for Voices from the Edge and 38 Cameron
Cell: 617.407.2558

Cultural/Racial Lecture
March 2005
Contact for Voices from the Edge:
Kenzo An, Media Relations
617.407.2558
[digital images available upon request

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