GRANVILLE -- Julian Bond, who has remained committed to civil rights, economic justice and peace since his early involvement in the 1950s and 1960s as a protestor, will speak at Denison University on "Civil Rights: Now and Then." The Department of History's Sharp Lectures in American History Series is sponsoring Bond's appearance at 7 p.m. on Thursday (March 29) in Swasey Chapel. The Sharp Lectures are focused on the civil rights movement this year. The final lecture will feature the Rev. C.T. Vivian on April 11.

Julian Bond

Born in Nashville, Tenn., Bond was the son of a dedicated educator, Horace Mann Bond, who was the first black president of the oldest black private college, Lincoln University, Penn. Young Julian graduated from the co-educational Quaker school, The George School, and then entered Morehouse College, Atlanta, where he helped found a student civil rights group that organized non-violent, anti-segregation protests that led to the integration of movie theaters, lunch counters and parks in Atlanta. In 1960, Bond became one of several hundred students who formed the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), later becoming the group's communication director and gaining national attention while organizing protests and registration campaigns during one of the country's most difficult times.

While his civil rights activities were gaining him attention, Bond left his job on the staff of a protest newspaper and ran for the Georgia House of Representatives. Members of the House voted not to seat him because of his outspoken opposition to the war in Vietnam. He was elected two more times before the Supreme Court ruled unanimously that the Georgia House had violated his rights in refusing him his seat. He was elected to the Georgia Senate in 1974. During his more than 20 years of service in the Georgia General Assembly, he was sponsor or co-sponsor of more than 60 bills that became law.

Currently, Bond is Chairman of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, the oldest and largest civil rights organization. In 2002 he received the prestigious National Freedom Award. He serves as chairman of the Premier Auto Group Diversity Council and on the boards of the Southern Poverty Law Center and the Council for a Livable World. He also serves on the advisory board of the Harvard Business School Initiative on Social Enterprise. His poetry and articles have appeared in numerous publications and he narrated the Academy Award-winning documentary "A Time for Justice" and the series "Eyes on the Prize."

Calendar Listing:

CALENDAR LISTING: Denison University, Granville: The Sharp Lectures in American History Series presents Julian Bond, chairman of the NAACP; 7 p.m., Thursday (March 29), Swasey Chapel (200 Chapel Drive). Free and open to the public. Contact 740-587-6599 to confirm information.

For press inquiries:

Name

Barbara Stambaugh

Position Title

Director, Media Relations

Primary Email

stambaughb@denison.edu

Business Phone

(740) 587-8575