Whose Castle?: The Weaponization of Self-Defense

The Marshall University Department of History will present the 2022 Charles Hill Moffat Lecture, featuring Dr. Caroline Light, director of undergraduate studies and senior lecturer at the Program in Studies of Women, Gender and Sexuality at Harvard University.

The lecture, “Whose Castle?: The Weaponization of Self-Defense,” will take place Monday, March 28, at 6:30 p.m. in the Shawkey Dining Room of the Memorial Student Center on Marshall’s Huntington campus.

The lecture will draw from Light’s 2018 book, Stand Your Ground. Dr. Greta Rensenbrink, the chair of Marshall’s  Department of History, says Light’s insights help to place the difficult issue of gun violence into historical context.

“Her brilliant book has gotten a lot of attention because it addresses issues of gun violence and lethal self-defense that we can’t ignore today,” Rensenbrink said.  “It’s a great example of how history can help up address current problems.”

Rensenbrink says she is glad that Light’s appearance on Marshall University’s campus is finally coming to fruition after being cancelled in the spring of 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It’s long awaited, but maybe even more relevant today,” Rensenbrink said.

Light is also the author of That Pride of Race and Character: The Roots of Jewish Benevolence in the Jim Crow South. The book illustrates the experiences of southern Jewish assimilation. Light’s research explores histories of citizenship and belonging.

The lecture is free and open to the public and a reception will follow the lecture.