Homecoming Activities Will Include Celebration of 50 Years of Integration of Student Body

The Davidson College archives office has created an online video titled Always Part of the Fabric that provides a short history of African-American contributions to Davidson College.

Davidson College invites the public to events commemorating 50 years of integration at the college. The activities  will be held during Homecoming Weekend, October 5 and 6, and will include reflections on the beginnings of racial integration, diversity on campus today, and a look toward the future.

Davidson's Board of Trustees opened the doors first to African students. Dr. Benoit Nzengu, a surgeon now living near Paris, enrolled in the fall of 1962, and Georges Nzongola-Ntalaja, who teaches at UNC-Chapel Hill, enrolled in the fall of 1963. Both men will attend the commemoration, and Dr. Nzengu will offer one of Friday evening's keynote "Alumni Reflections."

Members of the general public are invited to attend presentations on Friday afternoon, October 5, and Saturday, October 6. On Friday at 4 p.m. in Chambers Building Room 1062 Joseph Howell '64 will discuss his book, Civil Rights Journey, The Story of a White Southerner Coming of Age during the Civil Rights Revolution. Howell grew up in a privileged Nashville family during the last years of Jim Crow, got involved in the civil rights movement as a Davidson student, and ultimately worked on the front lines of the movement. He will be joined by his wife, Embry, with whom he shared the experience of working with the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee in 1966. She is the daughter of the late Davidson President Grier Martin.

Three public talks on Saturday morning in Chambers Building will address the current state of Davidson's continuing efforts toward diversity, and aspirations for the future.

• "Multicultural Affairs at Davidson" at 9 a.m. will be led by Tae-Sun Kim, director of multicultural affairs, and Sarbeth Fleming, associate dean and director of multicultural admission. They will discuss demographic changes at Davidson over the years and initiatives by the college to meet the needs of an increasingly diverse community.
• "Faculty of Color and Curricular Diversity, Campus Climate and Tenure" at 10 a.m. in Chambers Building will be led by Helen Cho, associate professor of anthropology, and Hilton Kelly, assistant professor of education. They will speak about the role of faculty of color in supporting college diversity initiatives, as well as new projects and classes being offered in the Ethnic Studies Concentration.
• "The ACE Investment" at 11 a.m. in Chambers Building will explain this Davidson program to blend networking and career advice to help bring together alumni of color with distinct professional passions.

For more information about the weekend's activities, call 704-894-2642.