Braun for The HistoryMakers’ Dr. Frances G. Carroll 2008-2009 Speaker Series on Wednesday, February 4. A reception will be held at 5:30 p.m. before the program begins at 6:30 p.m. in Brookens Auditorium, located in Brookens Library on the UIS campus. The event is free and open to the public.The event is part of a series titled Agents of Change, and the speaker series is named in honor of University of Illinois Trustee Dr. Frances G. Carroll, who will be present at the program.
The HistoryMakers, a Chicago-based, independent nonprofit, is the nation’s largest African-American video oral history archive. It uses state-of-the-art technology to chronicle the lives of well-known and unsung African-Americans.
The HistoryMakers has partnered with the University of Illinois to offer the Agents of Change series, interactive exhibits on all three campuses and a summer fellowship for University of Illinois students. Through collaborative efforts, the U of I and The HistoryMakers are heightening awareness of African-American achievements. Earlier on Feb. 4, there will be an interactive exhibit featuring material from The HistoryMakers archives from 11:30 a.m. until 6:30 p.m. in conference rooms C/D, located on the lower level of the Public Affairs Center.
The Agents of Change speaker series highlights and honors individuals who have affected great change in society. Carol Moseley Braun, a graduate of the University of Illinois at Chicago, will be participating in the UIS Agents of Change event.
In 1978, Moseley Braun was elected to the Illinois House of Representatives where she was an advocate for education. After only two terms in the House, she was selected to become the first African-American woman in Illinois history to serve as Assistant Majority Leader.
In 1992, she became the first African-American woman ever to be elected to the United States Senate. In 1999, President Bill Clinton appointed her Ambassador to New Zealand and Samoa, a role she served in until 2001. She is now the founder and president of Good Food Organics, parent company of Ambassador Brand Organic Products.
Moseley Braun will be talking with students and visiting classes in the morning before the evening program. The event is co-sponsored by the Engaged Citizenship Common Experience (ECCE) Speaker Series at UIS.
Overflow seating for the program will be available in conference rooms C/D with a televised viewing of the program, and the program can also be viewed through a live webcast at www.uis.edu/technology/uislive.html. To attend the program, call 217/206-8497 or email ga_aas@uis.edu by January 28 to make a reservation. For more information about The HistoryMakers, go online to http://www.thehistorymakers.com/.