(Asheville, NC) - Nonprofit Pisgah Legal Services is pleased to welcome Dr. Imani Perry as their 14th Annual Justice Forum keynote speaker, this year on October 23, 2025 in Asheville, with watch parties happening concurrently across Western North Carolina (WNC). The event is free, but registration is required. This event is made possible by presenting sponsors Jacquelyn and Bruce Rogow and others generous members of our community.
Perry is a celebrated author, legal scholar, and cultural critic whose work bridges history, law, literature, and the arts to examine the enduring legacies of race and inequality in America.
A professor at Harvard University and recipient of a MacArthur “Genius” Fellowship, Perry is known for her insightful books, including South to America: A Journey Below the Mason-Dixon to Understand the Soul of a Nation, which won the 2022 National Book Award for Nonfiction.
Pisgah Legal Services Executive Director Jackie Kiger says, “There is much we can learn from Dr. Perry’s unique and insightful experiences and perspective. Pisgah Legal is pleased to bring her to Western North Carolina for a singular opportunity to explore the intersection of justice, race, and democracy.”
The Justice Forum takes place at 7pm on Thursday, October 23rd at Thomas Wolfe Auditorium, Harrah’s Cherokee Center, in downtown Asheville. Livestream will also be available, and free regional watch parties are also planned in Brevard, Cullowhee, Highlands and Spruce Pine.
Brevard – Unitarian Universalists of Transylvania County, 24 Varsity Street, 28712
Questions? Email Daniel.Carey@pisgahlegal.org
Cullowhee – Western Carolina University’s University Center Theater (UC 315), One University Drive, 28723
Questions? Email Jessi@pisgahlegal.org
Highlands – First Presbyterian Church of Highlands, 471 Main St., 28741
Questions? Email Leslie@pisgahlegal.org
Spruce Pine – Cross Street Commerce Center, 31 Cross St. 28777
Questions? Email Maxine@pisgahlegal.org
At the Asheville event, a ticketed pre-event reception will take place in the Harrah’s Cherokee Center Banquet Hall, and the Justice Forum will follow in Thomas Wolfe Auditorium. Tickets to the reception are $125/person and include food and drink. Advance registration is required at https://www.pisgahlegal.org/2025-justiceforum/