CNN Anchor Don Lemon to Speak at UA’s Ferguson Theatre

Note: A limited number of seats are available for the media. Contact LaToya Scott at scott060@sa.ua.edu or 205/348-7525

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Don Lemon, an award-winning journalist and CNN Newsroom anchor, will speak at 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 21, at the the Ferguson Center Theatre on The University of Alabama campus.

Guests can register for this free event online at uaferguson.tix.com. After the speech, Lemon will sign copies of his book, “Transparent,” which will be for sale at the event.

The event is part of “Through the Doors,” a year-long series of activities and events commemorating the 50^th anniversary of the desegregation of UA in 1963 and honoring the courage and dedication of the two African American students who enrolled in the University on June 11, 1963, as well as the University’s ongoing commitment to change over the past 50 years and to continued progress in the future. The website is at http://www.throughthedoors.ua.edu/.

During Lemon’s time at UA, he will discuss his perspective from the field and behind the news desk. He will focus on what it means to be a journalist for a major network and a give a special perspective to the minority representation on mainstream television.

Lemon began working for CNN in September 2006 and anchors the CNN Newsroom during weekend prime-time. Serving as a correspondent across U.S. programming, Lemon was recently named one of Ebony’s Most Influential Blacks in America. Lemon also serves as an adjunct professor at Brooklyn College, his alma mater. He has won multiple awards including an Emmy for his special report on real estate, an Edward R. Murrow Award for his coverage on the capture of the Washington, D.C., snipers and other awards for his work on the AIDS epidemic in Africa and Hurricane Katrina.

The event is a collaborative project among Capstone Conversations, University Programs and other campus departments.

“Capstone Conversations is an initiative started by the Division of Student Affairs to bring nationally renowned speakers to campus,” said Dr. Lowell Davis, assistant dean of students. “Because of the support of various Colleges and departments on campus, we were able to invite Don Lemon to our campus this year.”

University Programs is the student-led, student-driven board, which aims to provide University of Alabama students with a variety of events that enhance the overall student experience. UP is committed to supporting the overall academic, research and service mission of The University of Alabama and the Ferguson Center Student Union by providing quality, collaborative programming that promotes lifelong learning and allows all students to find a place of involvement and importance.