Civil Rights leader Julian Bond comes to University of St. Francis
Civil Rights pioneer Julian Bond will discuss diversity and the presidential election at the University of St. Francis on Wednesday, Oct. 6. The public is invited to this free presentation that is part of USF’s Joliet Diversity Initiative.
Bond will speak at 7:30 p.m. in the University of St. Francis Recreation Center. Reservations are recommended. For reservations or information, call (815) 740-3404. A follow-up panel discussion at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 13 will discuss presidential election and diversity from a variety of regional perspectives, including religion, environment, lifestyle, legal, medical and disabilities. The panel discussion will be in the university’s Moser Performing Arts Center auditorium.
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From his student days to his current chairmanship
of the National Association for the Advancement
of Colored People (NAACP), Bond has been an active
participant in the movements for civil rights
and economic justice. As an activist who has faced
jail for his convictions, a veteran of more than
20 years service in the Georgia General Assembly,
a university professor and a writer, he has been
on the cutting edge of social change since 1960.
"The University of St. Francis is committed
to being a community resource for discussion of
important topics that affect the quality of life
in our country and region," said USF President
Michael Vinciguerra. "Julian Bond will provide
an important perspective on what the presidential
election means to diversity nationwide. The Joliet
Diversity Initiative, sponsored by the University
of St. Francis, will play a significant role in
creating opportunities for dialogue that will
lead to greater understanding and appreciation
of all peoples. This is at the heart of our mission
as a Franciscan educational institution,"
Vinciguerra added.
Bond’s activism began as a student in 1960
at Morehouse College in 1960 with protests and
voter registration campaigns throughout the South.
Elected in 1965 to the Georgia House of Representatives,
Bond was prevented from taking his seat by members
who objected to his opposition to the Vietnam
War. He was re-elected to his own vacant seat
only to be un-seated again; he was eventually
seated after a third election and a unanimous
decision of the United States Supreme Court.
Bond was co-chair of a challenge delegation from
Georgia to the 1968 Democratic Convention that
was successful in unseating Georgia's regular
Democrats. Bond became the first African-American
to be nominated for vice president by any major
political party, but had to decline because he
was too young.
Bond is a commentator on America's Black Forum,
the oldest black-owned show in television syndication.
His poetry and articles have appeared in numerous
publications. He has narrated many documentaries,
including the Academy Award-winning "A Time
For Justice" and the prize-winning and critically
acclaimed series "Eyes On The Prize."
He has served four terms and since 1998 has been
chairman of the board of the NAACP, the oldest
and largest civil rights organization in the United
States.
Bond’s presentation at the University of
St. Francis is sponsored by the Duns Scotus Fellows
student honors program, the Center for the Study
of Contemporary Ethics, the History/Political
Science Department and Student Affairs Office,
along with the Joliet Diversity Initiative.
The Joliet Diversity Initiative was begun by the
university’s Presidential Advisory Council
on Diversity, in spring 2003, to encourage dialogue
on the many aspects of diversity. The initiative
sponsors nationally recognized experts on the
topics of diversity, such as football coach Herman
Boone, subject of the film Remember the Titans,
and nationally recognized expert Dr. James B.
Ewers. The Joliet Diversity Initiative also sponsors
a community dinners series. The community dinners,
held in homes throughout the community, have brought
150 people together to discuss how their views
on diversity were formed; what diversity means
to them; and the advantages and disadvantages
of a diverse society. More dinners are planned
in April 2005.
The Joliet Diversity Initiative is a project of
the University of St. Francis Presidential Advisory
Council on Diversity, appointed by USF President
Vinciguerra.
"We are fortunate that our community is a
diverse community. Our city is a special place
and as Joliet’s university, we want to be
open to the entire city and county," said
Vinciguerra.
The University of St. Francis, at 500 Wilcox St. in Joliet, serves more than 4,300 students nationwide. The university offers undergraduate programs in arts and sciences, business, education, nursing and allied health and social work. Graduate programs are offered in business, education and health care.