Spring 2012 Distinguished Lecture Series
Butler University's 24th Annual Celebration of Diversity
Distinguished Lecture Series is a collaborative diversity
initiative between Butler University and the Office of the Mayor,
with generous support from our sponsors: Eli Lilly and Company
Foundation, Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield, Citizens Energy Group,
Indianapolis Power & Light Co., Old National Bank, Radio One
and Kroger Inc. While in Indianapolis, Celebration of Diversity
Distinguished Lecture Series speakers stay at The Columbia
Club.
Friday, Feb. 10, 2012
7:30 p.m.
Kirk Franklin: Personal
Accountability: Challenging the Global Community
Five-time
Grammy winner Kirk Franklin made it cool to be Christian, placing
godly messages in the same heavy rotation as other urban pop music.
Over the last 14 years, with hits such as "Stomp," "Whatcha Lookin'
For," "Looking for You," "Revolution" and "Lean on Me," he ascended
to the upper echelons of gospel and pop.
Beyond the music, he's a highly exalted example of a man who
achieved success without selling his soul or his integrity. His
message now inhabits movies, television, and his latest book,
BluePrint, an exploration of the benefits of creating an action
plan for your life and overcoming obstacles.
Franklin's enterprises include a full-service youth outreach
initiative, an advertising agency, and a production company. In a
joint venture with Zomba Label Group, Franklin established his own
Fo Yo Soul Entertainment Company. His latest album, The Fight of My
Life is the second album Fo Yo Soul.
Thursday, Feb. 16, 2012
11:30 a.m.
Educational and Leadership Opportunities for West African
Girls.
An address by Leymah Gbowee
Nobel Peace Laureate
Open to the Butler community - Register here
Liberian peace and women's
rights activist Leymah Gbowee, winner of the 2011 Nobel Peace
Prize, will speak at 11:30 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 16, in the Reilly
Room as part of the Celebration of Diversity Distinguished Lecture
Series.
Admission is free and open to the Butler community, but registration is requested at this
link. For more information, call (317) 940-6570. A dessert
reception will follow her address.
As war ravaged Liberia, Leymah Gbowee realized it is women who
bear the greatest burden in prolonged conflicts. She began
organizing Christian and Muslim women to demonstrate together,
founding Liberian Mass Action for Peace and launching protests and
a sex strike. Gbowee's part in helping to oust Charles Taylor was
featured in the documentary Pray the Devil Back to Hell. Gbowee is a single
mother of six, including one adopted daughter, and is based in
Accra, Ghana, where she is the executive director of the Women
Peace and Security Network (WIPSEN-Africa).
Gbowee has spoken publicly numerous times on the issue of women
in conflict situations. She was a panelist at several regional and
international conferences, including UNIFEM's "Women and the
Disarmament, Demobilization, Reintegration and Repatriation (DDRR)
Process," and the United Nations Security Council's Arria Formula
Meeting on women, peace, and security.
In October 2007, the Women's Leadership Board at Harvard
University's John F. Kennedy School of Government honored Gbowee
with the Blue Ribbon Peace Award. This annual award is given to
individuals and organizations that have made a significant
contribution to peace-building through innovative strategies that
promote women's leadership in peace processes on the local,
national, or international level.
Her other honors have included:
Recipient of the 2010 John Jay Medal for Justice from the John
Jay College of Criminal Justice
Recipient of the 2009 Gruber Prize for Women's Rights
Recipient of the 2009 John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage
Award
Recipient of the Women's eNews 2008 Leaders for the 21st Century
Award
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
7:30 p.m.
An Evening with America Ferrera
Emmy-winning actress and activist
America Ferrera is perhaps
best known for her Emmy Award-winning portrayal of Betty Suarez on
the ABC hit comedy "Ugly Betty," but she is also a devoted
humanitarian who dedicates her time, energy and star power to
generating attention to the causes that are near and dear to her
heart, particularly those impacting children and their
education.
A gifted and fearless actress, Ferrera received a Special Jury
Award for acting with her debut in "Real Women Have Curves," a
performance she followed up with roles in such films as "Lords of
Dogtown," "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants" and the
Oscar-nominated animated film "How to Train Your Dragon." Most
recently, she appeared in "The Dry Land," which premiered at the
2010 Sundance Film Festival and which Ferrera also executive
produced.
A staunch believer that one person can truly make a difference,
Ferrera, an artist ambassador for Save the Children, helped raise
more than $44,000 to build a new elementary school in Mali, an
accomplishment that garnered her the 2011 Global Action award for
Childhood Development and Education. She also recently traveled to
India with New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof to take part
in the PBS film "Half the Sky," which draws a compelling picture of
the trials and triumphs of women worldwide as they struggle for
opportunity and equality.
In 2010, Ferrera was awarded the Hispanic Heritage Foundation's
Inspira Award, which recognized her contributions as a role model
through her work as an actress and activist. She is also the
recipient of the 2011 Global Action Award for Childhood Development
and Education for her work with Save the Children in Mali. In March
2011, Ferrera was named the 2011 national recipient of the Cesar E.
Chavez Legacy Award for her commitment to helping lead
underprivileged families and youth to a better life and
education.
While at Butler, Ferrera's
hair and makeup services
will be provided by emmetts THE STUDIO.
Monday, April 23
7:30 p.m.
From Selma to Obama and Beyond
An Evening with Dan Rather
Distinguished broadcast journalist
Dan Rather is one of the
most recognized and renowned reporters of our time. Over the past
40 years, Rather has been a part of history's defining moments.
Rather has reported from front lines around the globe, including
such places as Iraq, Afghanistan, Vietnam, Tiananmen Square, the
Middle East, Bosnia and Haiti.
On the domestic front, Rather has covered nearly every major
story, from 9/11 to President Clinton's impeachment. He has
reported on the civil rights movement, Watergate and every
presidential campaign since 1952.
The recipient of virtually every honor in broadcast journalism,
including numerous Emmy Awards, a Peabody Award, and citations from
critical, scholarly, professional, and charitable organizations,
Rather produces and hosts "Dan Rather Reports," a weekly news
program featuring hard-edged field reports, interviews and
investigative pieces exclusively on HDNet.