Virtual talks to highlight Caribbean music, WWII memories

Finger Lakes Community College will host two online talks this month, one by an author who explores the role of calypso music in Caribbean society and the other by a World War II fighter pilot.  

The links are available on the FLCC events calendar at events.flcc.edu. 

Meagan Sylvester is an author and senior lecturer at the Cipriani College of Labour and Co-operative Studies in Trinidad and Tobago. Her research topics include music and national identity in calypso and soca, and music and human rights in the Americas. She will present “People Power Movements in Caribbean Festival Culture: The Calypso Experience” from 11 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. Oct. 19.  

On Oct. 21, retired Col. Charles “Bud” Anderson, a WWII fighter pilot, will share his recollections from two combat tours in Europe from 4 to 5:15 p.m. Anderson, 99, is the last surviving triple ace from the war, having flown 116 missions with 16 aerial victories. He published a memoir, “To Fly and Fight,” with a forward by Chuck Yeager in 1990 and was enshrined into the National Aviation Hall of Fame in Dayton, Ohio, in 2008. 

The events are part of the “History, Culture and Diversity” series organized by Robert Brown, professor of history.  

“Dr. Sylvester’s talk is part of our Hispanic Heritage Month observances,” Brown said. “It acknowledges the culture and history of the Caribbean, which often gets overlooked on this occasion. Taking the opportunity to listen to Bud Anderson’s recollections is a magnificent way to honor ‘the greatest generation.’”  

Email robert.brown@flcc.edu for information.