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On Tuesday, April 6 at 8 p.m., the Honors Program will host a lecture by Danielle Bennette Dukes, “Why I Read Homer to My Children.” You are cordially invited to attend via livestream @ www.messiah.edu/HomerLecture. Mrs. Dukes’ lecture is one of the keynote events of the Honors Program’s Book of the Year program, in which all first-year students read Homer’s Odyssey together.

Danielle Bennette Dukes is a remarkable woman. She has helped to educate many classical school and homeschool students (including her own six children) through her teaching, writing, and consulting. In doing so, she draws on the various cultures and sub-cultures in which she has dwelled. Her formative experiences as a Black woman, a life-long New Orleanian, and a Catholic shape how she reads, thinks, and engages the times. Mrs. Dukes loves many things, including African folk tales, the history and culture of Mardi Gras krewes, traditions of Christian contemplative prayer, and classical literature. Today, when dividing lines between cultures and identities seem increasingly prominent, Mrs. Dukes’ experiences and thoughts are notable. Among the many rich things she has shared with her children are the writings of Homer. On April 6th, she will talk about both why she has felt compelled to read Homer to her children and how she has gone about doing so.

Livestream