Monrovia, Jan. 20 -- Detroit-based independent anti-poverty think tank The PuLSE Institute has announced the launch of the Bankole Thompson First Amendment and Social Change Lecture Series, a new annual initiative dedicated to advancing free speech, democracy, and social justice.

The lecture series is named in honor of Bankole Thompson, founder and dean of The PuLSE Institute, and a nationally respected journalist, social critic, and advocate for economic and racial justice. Thompson's body of work, widely recognized for speaking truth to power, reflects a deep commitment to First Amendment freedoms.

The inaugural keynote address will be delivered by Jim Vincent, former president of the Providence, Rhode Island branch of the NAACP and a...