NAACP chairman
returns to ESU

EMPORIA, Kansas |

National civil rights leader Julian Bond will return to Emporia State University Sunday, April 27 to present a lecture titled “Civil Rights: Now and Then."

Bond's appearance is part of the university's annual Bonner and Bonner Diversity Lecture Series. He has appeared at ESU twice before, in 1972 and 1979 when he was a young congressman from Georgia with a national reputation for leadership in the civil rights and anti-war movements.

“The Bonner and Bonner Lectures were established to recognize the university’s commitment to diversity. Through this forum we are able to bring nationally-known speakers to Emporia State University,” said ESU President Kay Schallenkamp.

“Mr. Bond was an active participant in the country’s civil rights movement. His historical perspective lends critical insight into the current state of race relations and this event promises to be an invaluable experience for all students and the community,” she said.

Bond has been on the cutting edge of social change since 1960. As a student at Morehouse College, he was a founder of Atlanta’s student sit-in and anti segregation organization. As the communications director of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, Bond was active in protests and voter registration campaigns throughout the South.

Elected to the Georgia House of Representatives in 1965, Bond was prevented from taking his seat by members who objected to his opposition to the Vietnam War. He was re-elected and unseated again, and seated only after a third election and unanimous decision by the U.S. Supreme Court. During his 20 years of legislative tenure, Bond was the co-sponsor of more than 60 bills that became law.

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, and he has narrated many documentaries – including the Academy Award-winning “A Time For Justice.”

As chairman of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, Bond heads the oldest and largest civil rights organization in the country. He is a Distinguished Professor at American University in Washington, D.C. and a Professor of history at the University of Virginia.

The Bonner and Bonner Lecture Series was established in 1992 by Drs. Thomas and Mary Bonner, ESU's first and second African American faculty members. Both were full and tenured professors with a combined 48 years of service and contributions to ESU. Thomas Bonner taught mathematics and Mary Bonner taught education courses.

Sponsored by the Pepsi Bottling Group, the lecture series pays tribute to ESU as a pioneer in the community in the hiring of minorities and as a supporter of faculty and student diversity.

The lecture will take place April 27 at 7 p.m. in Albert Taylor Hall, located on the ground floor of Plumb Hall.

Last Updated July 2, 2007>