Annual Henry M. Scharf Memorial Lecturer: Lee Hawkins

The Annual Henry M. Scharf Memorial Lecture features author and investigative journalist Lee Hawkins, whose acclaimed memoir I Am Nobody’s Slave: How Uncovering My Family’s History Set Me Free traces 400 years of Black American family history through slavery, Jim Crow, and the lasting effects of racial injustice.

Using genealogical research, DNA testing, and historical documentation, Hawkins explores how uncovering one family’s past can reveal broader truths about America’s history and help foster healing and dialogue across racial divides.

A Pulitzer Prize finalist and former reporter for The Wall Street Journal, Hawkins is also the creator of the podcast series What Happened in Alabama?, which examines America’s legacy of racial violence and inequality.

The lecture honors Henry M. Scharf, a Gettysburg College alumnus and former owner of the Gettysburg Hotel, and continues his legacy through an endowment established by the Scharf family.

The Annual Henry M. Scharf Memorial Lecture will take place on Tuesday, March 31, 2026, at 7:00 p.m. in Mara Auditorium on the campus of Gettysburg College.