ECNETNews, March 17, 2025: Award-winning journalist and prominent news anchor, Abby Phillip, will deliver the 23rd Eric E. Williams Memorial Lecture on March 28, 2025, at the University of Texas at Austin. Taking place at the AT&T Conference Center, the event kicks off with a reception at 6:15 p.m. (EST), followed by the lecture at 7:15 p.m., and is free and open to the public. A live-stream option will be available, with post-event viewing accessible online.
Phillip, known for her fact-driven journalism as the anchor of NewsNight with Abby Phillip, has earned a reputation for holding powerful figures accountable and delivering insightful analysis of current events, reflecting her roots in political reporting.
“Abby Phillip is an exemplary choice to deliver the Eric Williams Memorial Lecture,” stated Dr. Jennifer Wilks, Director at the John L. Warfield Center for African and African American Studies. “Her dedication to informed public discourse mirrors the heritage of engagement established by Dr. Eric Williams.”
Founded in 1999 and moved to UT Austin in 2021, the Eric Williams Memorial Lecture honors Trinidad and Tobago’s first Prime Minister and esteemed historian. Williams’ seminal work, Capitalism and Slavery, published in 1944, transformed the understanding of the British Transatlantic Slave Trade and its economic implications. Known as The Williams Thesis, it asserts that economic factors, rather than humanitarian concerns, led to the abolition of slavery and continues to be a critical study today.
A leader in the push for Trinidad and Tobago’s independence in 1962 and later its republican status in 1976, Williams’ influence on Caribbean history and politics is profound and lasting.
The Eric Williams Memorial Lecture has previously showcased notable speakers, including:
- Mia Mottley, Prime Minister of Barbados
- Portia Simpson-Miller, former Prime Minister of Jamaica
- Ralph Gonsalves, Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines
- Dr. Angela Davis, activist and scholar
- Dr. Carol Anderson, author of White Rage
This year’s lecture is supported by various initiatives at UT, and contributions from local benefactors. Participating organizations include UT’s Center for Global Change and Media, the LLILAS Caribbean Studies Initiative, and the School of Journalism and Media. Also, the Eric Williams Memorial Collection Research Library, recognized by UNESCO in 1999 for its historical significance, will feature relevant books for purchase during the event.
