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Attorney Benjamin Crump Will Deliver Keynote at FAMU MLK Day Convocation

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WHO: On Friday, January 12, Benjamin L. Crump, civil rights attorney and the host of the A&E series “Who Killed Tupac?,” will be the keynote speaker during Florida A&M University’s (FAMU) 2018 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Convocation.

Benjamin Crump

WHAT: FAMU invites prolific speakers and notable figures in Black history, human rights and civil rights to deliver the annual address before students, faculty, staff, alumni and the community. Crump will reflect on King’s famous “Letter From Birmingham City Jail” and use the message to empower students and people of all ages to use “what they have” to stand up for justice.
WHY: Crump and his Tallahassee-based law firm’s representation of victims of gun violence sparked national outcry and ongoing protests over the murders of unarmed Black men, primarily at the hands of police.
WHERE: The convocation begins at 10:10 a.m., at FAMU’s Jake Gaither Gymnasium, located at 1835 Wahnish Way in Tallahassee. The public is invited to attend the free event and is encouraged to arrive early, as seating is limited.

Commissioner Adam Putnam to Give Keynote Address at Florida State University Convocation on Sunday

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Commissioner of Agriculture Adam H. Putnam will provide the keynote address and join President John Thrasher to welcome nearly 6,500 freshmen to Florida State University.
Event: Florida State University New Student Convocation and President’s Welcome
Date: Sunday, Aug. 27, 2017
Time: 1:30 p.m.
Location: Donald J. Tucker Civic Center
505 W. Pensacola Street
Tallahassee, Fla. 32301

Flagler College’s President Dr. Joseph Joyner welcomes new students during convocation ceremony

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St. Augustine, Fla. — Flagler College officially welcomed nearly 800 new students to the Flagler family Tuesday evening, during the college’s annual convocation ceremony in Lewis Auditorium. The students clutched railroad spikes, symbolic of their Flagler journey, as they listened to new President Dr. Joseph Joyner share his vision of great leadership and the core values that define the college.
Joyner began his talk by highlighting the merits of a college education. It is about more than economic security, he said, or civic duty: “College opens your senses as well as your mind to experiences that would otherwise not be available to you.”
An education anchored in Flagler’s core values and steered by a philosophy to serve others, he imparted, will help solidify a foundation for student success.
Joyner began as the college’s president this past July and introduced himself to students by underscoring his conviction in servant leadership, a philosophy focused on the principle of serving others and based on the work of management expert Dr. Robert Greenleaf.
Servant leadership is comprised of several characteristics, including listening, empathy, healing, awareness, conceptualization and a commitment to the growth of people, among others. The philosophy, he said, fits well with the culture and principles of Flagler College.
“The essence of servant leadership is the desire to see others grow and become servants themselves,” he said. “There is true and lasting joy is seeing growth in others. One of the distinguishing characteristics of Flagler College students is their service to our community, and I have been favorably impressed at the level of that service.”
Practicing good citizenship and giving back to the community are just two core values of Flagler. Joyner also noted others: The college is student-focused, committed to teaching and learning, quality-driven and devoted to cultivating civility, integrity and stewardship.
It is these values, which underpin the college’s ethos, that help students shape their own experiences at Flagler, and ultimately, their life legacy.
“We are stewards of Flagler College for the time we are here, and that doesn’t mean just the beautiful buildings we are blessed with,” he said. “We are stewards of the idea that is Flagler College, St. Augustine and indeed America. We are now more than a community — we are a family.”
The upcoming four years, he said, is an opportunity for self-exploration and growth.
“(They) might be the greatest opportunity for you to go beyond the prosaic and find your passion,” he said. “Use your creative nature to dream those great dreams and develop the passion necessary for a life well-lived.”
The ceremony was part of Flagler’s Building Your Legacy program, which includes meeting First-Year Advisers, participating in a five-day orientation to ease the transition from high school to college and taking an honor pledge. The program is designed to ensure that all first-year students begin with a solid foundation for what will become their legacy. 

Stetson University Announces Julia Nesheiwat as Convocation Keynote Speaker

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Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs, Acting
and Stetson Alumna to open 2017-18 academic year

Stetson University’s 2017-18 academic year will formally open at convocation on Wednesday, Aug. 23. At the ceremony, Keynote Speaker Julia Nesheiwat, Ph.D., will address the audience of faculty, staff and new and returning students in the Edmunds Center on the historic DeLand Campus. Nesheiwat, a graduate of Stetson University, is the Acting Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs.

Julia Nesheiwat

In her role, Nesheiwat is strengthening diplomatic efforts to secure the safe return of Americans held hostage overseas. Working closely with the families of American hostages, foreign governments and the interagency Hostage Recovery Fusion Cell, she represents the United States on hostage-related issues. Previously, Nesheiwat was appointed as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Implementation in the Bureau of Energy Resources. She also served as a Political-Military Advisor and Visiting Professor at the U.S. Naval Post Graduate School’s National Security Affairs Department. Nesheiwat has held numerous positions as Chief of Staff and Senior Advisor to the Under Secretary for Economic Affairs and U.S. Special Envoy for Eurasian Energy Security.
Earlier in her career, she served as the Chief of Staff for Policy and Planning in the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, where she managed the integration and collaboration of analysis and reporting with all intelligence agencies. Prior to that role, she was selected to serve on the U.S. Presidential Commission on Intelligence Capabilities Regarding Weapons of Mass Destruction, leading the North Korea and Iran policy steering committee from 2004-05.
A former U.S. Army Military Intelligence officer, Nesheiwat served consecutive tours in Afghanistan and Iraq. As a senior operations officer, she coordinated and managed interagency assessments on terrorist networks within the Middle East and Asia, and acted as the U.S. military liaison officer with regional political parties on governance and threat reduction.
Nesheiwat was an International Affairs Fellow with the Council on Foreign Relations and on the Governing Advisory Council for the World Economic Forum. She earned a Ph.D. from Tokyo Institute of Technology in Japan, an M.A. in security studies from Georgetown University, Washington D.C. and a B.A. in religious studies and sociology from Stetson University. She speaks fluent Arabic and Japanese.

Judge Belvin Perry to Address FAMU Community During Black History Month Convocation

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WHAT: History-making judge, attorney, and Florida A&M University Board of Trustees member Belvin Perry Jr., will deliver an inspiring keynote address during FAMU’s annual Black History Convocation.
WHEN: Friday, February 10, 2017
10:10 a.m.
WHERE: Jake Gaither Gymnasium
1835 Wahnish Way
Tallahassee, Florida 32307
WHO: Interim President Larry Robinson, Ph.D.
Attorney and Retired Judge Belvin Perry Jr.
FAMU Concert Chorale
FAMU Wind Symphony
FAMU Student Government Association
WHY: Perry is widely known for his work to combat homelessness, address wrongful conviction issues, and provide support to help citizens overcome drug addiction. He also presided over the Casey Anthony case – one of the most talked about cases in America.
Perry is the first African American to be elected to the circuit bench of the Ninth Circuit without first being appointed. He is also the first African-American chair of the Florida Conference of Circuit Court Judges.
He is currently an attorney with the nationally acclaimed law firm Morgan & Morgan P.A.
The public is invited to attend.

An updated list of Black History Month events at FAMU is available here.

Social Justice Advocate Jonathan Jackson, Son of Jesse Jackson, to Keynote FAMU’s MLK Convocation

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University Celebrates Second Annual Day of Service in Honor of Dr. King

This week, Florida A&M University (FAMU) will host two significant events that will honor the late Civil Rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and commemorate his remarkable legacy of service and advocacy.

Jonathan Jackson
Jonathan Jackson

On Friday, January 13, 2017, at 10:10 a.m., FAMU will host its annual MLK Convocation at Jake Gaither Gymnasium, located at 1755 Wahnish Way. The event is free and open to the public. The keynote speaker will be Jonathan Jackson, an accomplished businessman, educator, and social justice advocate, who is also the son of Civil Rights activist Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, a friend of Dr. King.
“We are honored to have Mr. Jonathan Jackson address the FAMU community during our annual observance and celebration of Dr. King’s great impact,” said Interim President Larry Robinson, Ph.D. “Mr. Jackson’s contributions to social justice, education, and business are impressive and inspiring. We are excited to learn about and from his experiences.”
Robinson added, “Dr. King’s life and work represented an unwavering commitment to ensuring that all people, no matter race, color, or creed, have access to the American dream. The FAMU community is humbled to have another opportunity to honor his legacy with our annual convocation and service projects.”
Jackson’s advocacy and business savvy have taken him around the world. He has met with heads of state throughout the world, including Venezuela President Hugo Chavez during the 2005 Hurricane Katrina catastrophe and Haiti President Jean-Bertrand Aristide.
Notably, in 1983, Jackson traveled to Syria with his father to secure the successful release of a captured American pilot, Navy Lt. Robert Goodman. In June 1984, Jackson, once again, flanked his father as he negotiated the release of 22 Americans being held in Cuba after an invitation by Cuban President Fidel Castro. On the eve of the 1991 Persian Gulf War, Jackson traveled with Rev. Jackson to meet with Iraq President Saddam Hussein to negotiate the release of foreign nationals being held as a “human shield.”
Alongside his siblings, Jonathan campaigned for his father’s presidential bids in 1984 and 1988. Since that time, he has continued to support his father’s work as a national spokesman for the Rainbow PUSH Coalition. He can regularly be seen on Saturday mornings on the Rainbow PUSH TV show and cable TV’s worldwide show “Upfront with Jesse Jackson.”
In 2009-2010, Jackson successfully fought the closure of 16 Chicago Public Schools, causing the district to reverse plans that would destabilize communities. In 2016, Jackson served as a Democratic National Committee delegate for Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, traveling to 30 cities advocating for the presidential candidate’s platform of economic and social justice.
The MLK Convocation will also mark the kick-off of FAMU’s second annual “Day of Service.” Held January 13-16, the event calls for FAMU students, alumni, employees, and supporters from around the world to host service projects in their respective communities. Last year, thousands of Rattlers participated, hosting projects ranging from clothing giveaways and providing meals to the less fortunate to offering free tutoring sessions and providing books to area youth.
Interested participants may sign up by emailing [email protected].