Jax State to Host America 250 Panel on Declaration of Independence, American Democracy

08/28/2026

Public event brings together perspectives from law, history, military service and civic leadership as nation commemorates its 250th anniversary 

JACKSONVILLE, Ala. — As part of the year-long commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the birth of America, Jacksonville State University's American Democracy Project and the Judge Frank M. Johnson, Jr. Institute will host a special panel examining the significance of the Declaration of Independence and reflecting on 250 years of the American republic. 

The America 250 Panel Discussion will be held Tuesday, Sept. 15, from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in Room 1103 AB on the 11th floor of Houston Cole Library. The event is free and open to Jax State students, faculty and staff and the public. 

The program will also serve as Jax State's annual Constitution and Citizenship Day program and will feature four panelists with a variety of backgrounds and experiences offering their perspectives on this milestone in American history.  

Panelists include: 

• LTC Eddie Walker, Jax State professor of military science and a senior Army aviator who has served in various locations and duty positions, including Georgia, Kentucky, Hawaii, Germany and Jordan. Walker has deployed to Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan. He was commissioned as an officer in 2007 while at Troy University and holds an MBA from Boise State University and a master's degree in Military Operational Art and Science from the Air Command and Staff College.  

• Dr. Diane Best, Jax State associate professor and program chair of Hospitality and Culinary Management. Best is also an Air Force veteran who worked as a paralegal in the Judge Advocate General's Office and later worked in large corporate law firms as a regional manager for 20 years before pursuing a career in the hospitality industry. Best has served as an executive chef, catering company owner and food and beverage director for a large hotel chain. She taught at Central Arizona College before arriving at Jax State in January 2019.  

• Dr. Steven Brown, professor of political science and the Morris Savage Endowed Chair at Auburn University. Brown received his Ph.D. from the University of Virginia in 1998 and came to Auburn that same year. Brown teaches courses in American Constitutional Law and has also taught classes on religion and politics, law and society, and American government. His research interests focus primarily on American legal history and church-state issues. Brown created a traveling exhibit about landmark Supreme Court cases from Alabama titled "Alabama Justice: The Cases and Faces that Changed a Nation," which toured the state as part of Alabama's statehood bicentennial. The exhibit is now on permanent loan at the state judicial building in Montgomery.  

• Judge W. Keith Watkins, immediate past chair of The American Village in Montevallo, an educational institution whose mission is to strengthen and renew the foundations of American liberty and constitutional self-government by engaging and inspiring citizens and leaders, with a special emphasis on programs for young people. Watkins was appointed by President George W. Bush to the Middle District of Alabama in 2005 and elevated to chief district judge in 2011, where he served until assuming senior status in 2019. He earned his B.S. from Auburn University in 1973 and graduated from the University of Alabama School of Law in 1976. Watkins currently serves on the boards of The American Village and the Rosa Parks Museum and previously served on the boards of the Federal Judges Association and the Judge Frank M. Johnson, Jr. Institute. 

The panel will be moderated by Dr. Lori Owens, dean of Jax State's Honors College and chair of the American Democracy Project Committee, and Thomas Rains, executive director of the Judge Frank M. Johnson, Jr. Institute. 

The program will begin with opening statements from the panelists, followed by a question-and-answer session featuring questions submitted in advance. Attendees will then have an opportunity to submit additional questions during the event before panelists provide closing statements. 

Students, faculty, staff and community members are invited to submit questions for the panelists through the America 250 webpage through Tuesday, Sept. 8. 

The America 250 Panel marks the second collaboration between Jax State's American Democracy Project Committee and the Judge Frank M. Johnson, Jr. Institute. The organizations first partnered for the Free Speech Forum in 2023. 

The program is an approved Jax MIX Community Engagement event, and students and scheduled 11 a.m. classes are encouraged and invited to attend.  

For more information, contact Dr. Lori Owens at ljowens@jsu.edu or 256-782-8269.