“A child in my mother’s era looked at the world with wide eyes and knew they weren’t free,” Chappelle noted in a release. “Kids today look at the world with wide eyes and know they are not free. Blackness is still illegitimized and disallowed.”
“We are excited that Ms. Chappelle will bring thought-provoking remarks to challenge our students to consider their place in history and the impact they can make in their communities and circles of influence,” said Natalie Coles, VP and Chief Development Officer, in a release.
Credit: CONTRIBUTED
Credit: CONTRIBUTED
Rustin, a human rights, civil rights and international peace activist, was a student at Wilberforce in the 1930s. He also worked closely with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and is credited with helping organize the Montgomery bus boycott and orchestrating the historic 1963 March on Washington, D.C. An openly gay man in the 1930s, Rustin is often credited as an early advocate for what is now the LGBTQ+ movement.
Chappelle’s mother is also connected to Wilberforce. She was a member of the university’s staff in the late 1960s.
You can watch the lecture tomorrow at 11 a.m. on Facebook and YouTube. Visit www.facebook.com/WilberforceUniversity.
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