Evolution on Trial: 100 Years after Scopes

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What does the 1925 Scopes Trial still teach us a century later?

In May 1925, high school teacher John Scopes was arrested and charged with teaching the theory of evolution, which the Tennessee state legislature had recently banned in public educational institutions throughout the state through the Butler Act. The eight-day jury trial ended with a guilty verdict, later reversed on a technicality, but the Butler Act was never again enforced. The highly publicized courtroom battle had succeeded in highlighting the evidence for evolution to a broad public, and the “Monkey Trial,” as it came to be known, marked a pivotal moment in the legal separation of theological teachings from public education.

Join us for a special panel marking the 100th anniversary of the landmark case that shaped contemporary understanding of scientific evidence and religion in public education. Moderated by Joseph L. Graves, professor of biological sciences at North Carolina A&T State University, this panel conversation explores how these debates have changed since the 1920s and how they continue to shape American culture today.

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