Presidential Colloquium Examines America's Gun Violence

Pam Bosley and Stasha Rhodes—leading voices in the movement to prevent gun violence—will deliver a Presidential Colloquium on “America’s Gun Violence Epidemic” at 4:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 22, in the Campus Center Carroll Room at Smith College. The event is open to the public at no charge.

About Pam Bosley

Pam Bosley graduated from Olivet University with a bachelor’s degree in business administration and spent more than 20 years in the world of banking. But after one of her sons, Terrell Bosley, was shot and killed on the grounds of a church in 2006, she changed directions to make a difference in the lives of youth and of parents whose children were taken by violence.

As the ARK of St. Sabina’s violence prevention manager, Bosley has empowered young people to be leaders and self-advocates, guiding them to discover their own voices and abilities to bring change to their communities. Bosley is also the co-founder of Purpose Over Pain, an organization founded to support parents who have lost children to violence, advocate for common sense gun measures, and provide a safe space and mentorship for youth. She also is the president and founder of The Terrell Bosley Anti-Violence Association, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping youth and families in need.

Bosley has been featured in a number of magazines, including Jet and Sister Sister, as well as a novel titled How Long Will I Cry and the documentaries Under the Gun and Making a Killing.

Bosley believes that since her son Terrell can no longer speak, she is now his voice. Together, she says, we can change the narrative of our youth and our communities by ending senseless gun violence.

About Stasha Rhodes

Stasha Rhodes is the director of engagement at Giffords, a leading organization in the growing movement to save lives from gun violence. As director of engagement, Rhodes develops and carries out national, state and local strategies and campaigns. Previously, she was the director of advocacy for guns and crime policy at the Center for American Progress. Prior to that, in Louisiana, she served as the founder and principal of The Red Team, LLC, an advocacy firm specializing in issue-campaign management, grassroots organizing and government relations. She also has served as the American Heart Association’s Louisiana director of government affairs.

About Smith College’s Presidential Colloquium Series

Smith’s Presidential Colloquium series regularly features influential thought leaders in a wide range of fields—from poets and writers to economists and policy experts—to share their expertise, offer insights, and inspire discourse on key social, political and global topics that call for attention. Lectures are free and open to the public.