On Monday, Feb. 16, John Murphy, associate professor of Communications at University of Illinois, will present “A New Birth of Freedom: Barack Obama and the Rhetorical Uses of History.” Murphy is a national expert on presidential campaign speeches and rhetoric, and his research looks at the politics of communication with emphasis on John F. Kennedy, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton.

Murphy’s presentation is part of the “Realities and Representations: The 2008 U.S. Presidential Campaign” series. He will speak at 4:10 p.m. on Monday Feb. 16 at the Bishop Joseph Johnson Black Cultural Center.