Santa Monica College will present Alephonsion Deng, one of the Lost Boys of Sudan, speaking on “Africa, America & the Hope of Transnational Connectivity” in honor of African American History Month.
Deng’s free talk will be given at 11:15 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 23 in Art Lecture Hall 214 on the main campus, 1900 Pico Blvd.
Deng is best known for being the co-author of “They Poured Fire on Us from the Sky” with his cousins Benson Deng and Benjamin Ajak.
He will talk about his extraordinary life – including his remarkable trek at the age of 7 across his country into Kenya to escape the atrocities of the Sudanese government troops.
To avoid capture he ran into the night with many other young boys, and without food, water, shoes or parents, crossed 1,000 miles of lion- and crocodile-infested territory.
After five years of fleeing war, starvation and wild animals, he reached Kakuma refugee camp in Kenya and began his education. In 2001, he immigrated to the United States.
The talk is sponsored by the SMC Associates, a private organization that funds speakers and special programs at the college; the Associated Students of Santa Monica College; and SMC’s African American Collegians Center.
For more information, call 310.434.4303.
