The Center for the Study of New Orleans will host “New Orleans in the 60s: A Time of Change” on Jan. 20 in Nunemaker Auditorium.

The panel discussion will focus on the shifting social mores, race relations and sexual politics from the 1960s.

Speakers for the program will be Louisiana State University history professor Alecia Long, Univerity of New Orleans history professor Raphael Cassimere and University of South Carolina history professor Kent Germany. Anthony Ladd, sociology professor from Loyola, will be the moderator.

“We’re dealing with three excellent historians. We chose people who we thought would bring something particularly interesting to the conversation,” said Leslie Parr, director of the Center for the Study of New Orleans and mass communication associate professor.

According to the Center for the Study of New Orleans Web site, Long will discuss New Orleans’ gay subculture and politics and Cassimere will talk about integration.

“We’re interested in all significant issues concerning New Orleans and the 1960s was a time of great change and significant development in the city,” Parr said. 

    Parr and a committee of professors formed the Center for the Study of New Orleans last spring. The center is in the process of offering an interdisciplinary minor on the study of New Orleans.

The next event the center will host is “Taken Against Their Will: Kidnappers Detectives and Slaves,” on March 24, which will focus on two 19th century kidnapping cases. The center is also planning other events.

“We are now in the process of coming up with programming for the fall semester,” Parr said.

Parr noted the significance of students learning about New Orleans.

“Students in school today are going to be leaders of New Orleans in the future,” she said.

“We hope this will help the city in the future by educating students about the city now.”

Precious Esie can be reached at [email protected]