DAVIE — Responding to the issues raised in the aftermath of the shooting death of Michael Brown in Missouri, Nova Southeastern University will bring together South Floridians to discuss the thorny subject of race in the United States.

The nation and world were riveted by the recent events that transpired in Ferguson, Missouri, with part of that fascination focused on the issue of race in American society.

The Nova Southeastern University Graduate School of Humanities and Social Sciences (SHSS) will host a panel discussion titled “Race Issues in America: Highlighted by the Ferguson Police Shooting.” The event is scheduled from 5-7 p.m. Friday, at NSU’s Knight Auditorium, located in the Carl DeSantis Building on main campus, 3301 College Ave., Fort Lauderdale.

The focal point of the discussion is on the death of Brown, 18, who was killed by Ferguson, MO., police officer Darren Wilson on Aug. 9.

The shooting of Brown caused nearly two weeks of protests and unrest in Ferguson, demonstrations around the country and spurred a national discussion about police treatment of Black-Americans. In addition to a local grand jury investigation, the Justice Department is conducting a separate investigation.

The event, which is free and open to the South Florida community, is being organized by the SHSS Student Government Association, and is part of its larger Diversity Dialog series.

The panel moderator will be Christine Ajayi, Ph.D., faculty in SHSS and the advisor to the SHSS SGA. Panelists will include SHSS faculty Cheryl Duckworth, Ph.D., and Evan Hoffman, Ph.D., Cynthia Harris Duval, Esq., from the Shepard Broad Law Center and Tony Gaskew, Ph.D., associate professor and director of the Criminal Justice Program at the University of Pittsburgh-Bradford. Gaskew is an NSU alumnus, earning his doctorate from the Department of Conflict Analysis and Resolution.