Contact: Crystal Drake, Office of Strategic Communications
Tuskegee University is reengaging in intellectual forums by introducing a series of lectures entitled
Reliving the Black Renaissance: Celebrating history, culture and dialogue through voices that inspire.
The series will open with the first event at 2:30 p.m. Feb. 5 at the Tuskegee University Chapel with Cheryl Thompson discussing “Legacy Meets Innovation.”
Thompson is an investigative correspondent for NPR. She also teaches investigative reporting as an associate professor of journalism at George Washington University. Prior to joining NPR in 2019, she was an investigative reporter for The Washington Post for 22 years.
She was named the journalism educator of the year in 2017 by the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ). In 2011, she won an Emmy award for a prison interview of a Chicago man sentenced to life for killing a police officer. She was also part of the team that won the 2002 Pulitzer Prize for national reporting and received two Salute to Excellence awards from the NABJ, including one for an investigation into the killing of a 14-year-old by a Washington, D.C. police officer.
“We are excited to welcome Ms. Thompson and other guests this year, to create a forum for conversations with depth that capture cultural and historical context for our students as they explore intellectual discussions,” said Dr. Mark Brown, president and CEO. “It is important for our students to be exposed to a variety of viewpoints to challenge their intellectual curiosity. These conversations will support that effort.”
In March, the university will host Travis Mitchell to discuss the film “Becoming Thurgood" of which he is the co-executive producer. The film traces Marshall’s journey from his birth in Baltimore, Maryland, in 1908 to his formative years at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) Lincoln University and Howard University School of Law to his groundbreaking career as a lawyer championing civil rights and dismantling segregation.
In April, Student Trustee Carrington Thompson will moderate a conversation “Leading in Challenging Times,” with three HBCU presidents, including Dr. Brown, Morgan State President and Tuskegee alum, Dr. David Wilson, and Benedict College President, Dr. Roslyn Clark Artis.
“These lectures will challenge our students with leaders whose experience and opinions will inspire them to explore academics discussions beyond the classroom,” said Dr. Thierno Thiam, Senior Vice President and Provost.
“Tuskegee has entered its Renaissance Era and transforming how academic discussions are presented is part of that,” said Dr. Brown. “This continues a history of empowerment and valuable dialogue on a campus where these discussions have been a part of the Tuskegee legacy.”
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