Documentary Filmmaker Byron Hurt coming to Finlandia University

Next week Finlandia University welcomes renowned documentary filmmaker Byron Hurt to the area for an event titled “Locker Room Talk or Toxic Masculinity?” on Tuesday at 7 p.m. in the Finnish American Heritage Center.

“Byron Hurt provides an opportunity for our campus to think critically about gender, class and racial stereotypes and how those stereotypes perpetuate violence,” Dean of Students & Enrollment Erin Barnett said. “Through previous grants from the Michigan State Police, we have explored how healthy masculinity education is an important piece in the conversation around sexual violence. Mr. Hurt allows us to continue the conversation through popular culture.”

Hurt is visiting campus as part of Finlandia University’s Michigan State Police Sexual Assault Prevention “Month of Action” grant. In addition to this event, FinnU will have two representatives from the Michigan Coalition to End Domestic and Sexual Violence (MCEDSV) on campus next week to provide student leader training and participate in a panel conversation around hazing. These guests provide significant opportunity for our students to engage in conversations about alcohol consumption, violence, gender and race.

Hurt’s event is free and open to the public.

About Byron Hurt

Byron Hurt is an award-winning documentary filmmaker, published writer, anti-sexist activist, and lecturer. He is also the former host of the Emmy-nominated television show, REEL WORKS with BYRON HURT. For more than 20 years, Hurt has been using his craft, his voice, and his writings to broaden and deepen how people think about gender violence, race, music, visual media, and food justice. As an activist, Byron has served as a gender violence prevention educator. The former Northeastern University football quarterback was also a founding member of the Mentors in Violence Prevention (MVP) program, the leading college-based rape and domestic violence prevention initiative for college and professional athletics. Hurt also served as an Associate Director of the first gender violence prevention program in the United States Marine Corps. Learn more at bhurt.com.