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DUNWOODY, Ga.—Perimeter College at Georgia State University will host its sixth annual Mario A.J. Bennekin Black History Symposium Feb. 16-20, 2026 with a keynote address from Maurice Hobson, Ph.D., who’s regarded as a foremost expert on Atlanta and the American South after World War II.
Sally Robertson, symposium co-chair and chair of Perimeter’s Fine Arts Department, calls him the perfect choice for featured speaker.
“Dr. Hobson brings history to life in ways that speak directly to students,” Robertson said. His work connects the past to the present—from Atlanta’s untold stories to national conversations on race, culture and identity.
“We chose him as this year’s keynote because he helps us see how Black history isn’t just something we study—it’s something we live, shape and carry forward."
The theme for Perimeter’s 2026 symposium is “The Black History Movement Turns 100: Rooted in Legacy, Growing Through Education,” which reflects the national Black History theme for next year: "A Century of Black History Commemorations.”
Hobson earned his doctoral degree in history from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, with a focus on African American history and 20th Century U.S. history. He is the book author of the award-winning “The Legend of the Black Mecca: Politics and Class in the Making of Modern Atlanta” and lead historian for “With Faith in God and Heart and Mind: A History of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity,” both with the University of North Carolina Press. Hobson also has written a number of peer-reviewed journal articles.
As a historian, Hobson engages the social sciences and has created a new paradigm called the Black New South that explores the experiences of Black folk in the American South, with national and international implications, since WWII. For this, he has served as an expert witness in court cases and as a voice of insight for public historical markers, monuments and museum exhibitions.
The Bennekin Black History Symposium is named for Mario Bennekin, a beloved professor who taught for 20 years at Perimeter and served as chair of the college’s History and Political Science Department before passing in 2019. Bennekin was instrumental in bringing the African-American Studies curriculum to Perimeter.
Hobson’s presentation is scheduled for Monday, Feb. 16 at 10 a.m. in the college’s Dunwoody Campus auditorium at 2101 Womack Rd.
The annual Mario A.J. Bennekin Symposium is free and open to the public.