(BLACK PR WIRE) DeLand – Byron Hurt, an award-winning filmmaker whose documentary, “Hip-Hop: Beyond Beats and Rhymes,” premiered at Sundance and went on to appear in more than 40 film festivals as well as on public television, will speak at Stetson University at 7 p.m. Monday, April 5. The public is invited to attend the free lecture, “Beyond Beats and Rhymes,” which will take place in the Stetson Room on the second floor of the Carlton Union Building, 131 E. Minnesota Ave. His visit is sponsored by the Stetson Gender Equity Council in cooperation with Stetson University Values Council, and is in keeping with the Values Council theme for the year, “How Shall We Live?”

A writer and a former college football quarterback, Hurt is known nationally known for redefining male roles in relation to women. He is a longtime gender violence prevention educator and a founding member of the Mentors in Violence Prevention (MVP) program, a college-based rape and domestic violence prevention initiative for college and professional athletes. He formerly was associate director of the first gender violence prevention program in the U.S. Marine Corps.

As a lecturer, Hurt uses his craft, voice and his writings to help people deepen their thoughts about gender, race, sex, violence, music and visual media.

Hurt has made TV appearances, including on CNN, BET, and ABC World News Tonight, and has been featured in numerous magazines and newspapers including The New York Times, The Washington Post, The L.A. Times, O, the Oprah magazine, Vibe, Mother Jones and others. Visit his home page at http://www.bhurt.com.

For additional information, contact Dr. Ramee Indralingam, chair of the Gender Equity Council, at rindrali@stetson.edu or 386-822-8186, or Cindi Brownfield in the Office of Public Relations and Communications, cbrownfi@stetson.edu, 386-822-7214 or 386-717-5836.

Founded in 1883, Stetson University in Central Florida is an independent university in the liberal arts tradition. The College of Arts & Sciences, School of Business Administration and School of Music are at the historic campus in DeLand, between Orlando and Daytona Beach. The Stetson College of Law is in Gulfport/St. Petersburg. The university also includes two satellite centers: the Stetson University Center at Celebration, near Orlando, and the Tampa Law Center in downtown Tampa. Follow Stetson on WordPress, Twitter, Facebook, Flickr and YouTube. More information: Office of Public Relations and Communications, 386-822-8920.