In celebration of Black History Month, Stony Brook University’s Office of the Provost hosted a series of Lectures; one of which was hosted by Dr. Jonathan Farley from the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science at the University of West Indies. In what was a successful attempt to educate his audience, Dr. Farley lectured on the myths, stereotypes, and misconceptions of the noteworthy group The Black Panthers, appropriately addressed as, ‘1967 – The Year of the Panther.’
‘After 20 to 30 years of oppression and suppression, these false ideas of the Black Panthers still thrive throughout this country, and that’s one of the reasons why I am standing here before you today,’ stated Dr. Farley during his lecture, preceding a detailed and touching opening statement pertaining to stories which are ‘full of holes’ in black history – past and present.
Brilliantly and with much enthusiasm about the topic, Dr. Farley spoke to each and every member of the audience with hopes of breaking down the barriers and misconceptions which many possess about the Black Panthers. From the look of everyone’s facial expression as well as the respectable silence given during the presentation, it became obvious that Dr. Farley’s passion and beliefs were not only touching everyone in the auditorium, but were about to embark on a bigger journey to ensure his success in getting his point across to a larger audience, the community.
Associate Provost and professor of African Studies here at SBU, Floris Barnett Cash, PhD, introduced Dr. Farley to the ensemble with a welcomed and distinguished honor. When asked about his thoughts as to having such a distinguished guest speaker lecture about the Black Panthers, he stated ‘It is important to comprise lectures at this caliber, not only for the students and the faculty, but for the entire Stony Brook Community.’
Black History Month is celebrated throughout in the United States in the month of February. SBU’s annual community-wide observance of Black History Month, coordinated by the Black History Month Planning Committee, includes panels, symposia, and lectures, as well as cultural and social events. It was only fitting that SBU Office of the Provost would assemble such a spectacular event, hosted by a man who by reputation believes in equality, respect, and education pertaining to the topic of Black History.
Professor Jonathan David Farley earned his A.B. with honors from Harvard University and won a Marshall Scholarship to study at Oxford where he earned his Ph.D. in Mathematics. Dr. Farley’s work focusing on using mathematics to counter terrorist activities has been widely acclaimed. He is the recipient of Oxford’s highest mathematics award, the Senior Mathematical Prize and Johnson Prize, and won the 2004 Harvard Foundation’s Distinguished Scientist of the Year Award in recognition of outstanding achievements and contributions in the field of mathematics. Dr. Farley’s work applying mathematics to counterterrorism has been profiled in ‘The Chronicle of Higher Education,’ ‘Science News Online,’ ‘The Economist,’ ‘USA Today,’ on ‘Fox News,’ and on Air America Radio. He is Chief Scientist of Phoenix Mathematics, Inc., a company that develops mathematical solutions to homeland security-related problems.
