'Race in America' series to feature civil rights activists Elzie, Mckesson

9:10 a.m., Sept. 23, 2015--Civil rights activists Johnetta (Netta) Elzie and DeRay Mckesson will speak as part of the University of Delaware’s National Agenda series on “Race in America: Conversations about Identity and Equality.” 

Elzie and Mckesson will speak starting at 7:30 p.m., Wednesday, Sept. 30, in Mitchell Hall on the UD campus in Newark.

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The presentation, which will be moderated by Lindsay Hoffman, associate professor in UD’s Department of Communication and associate director of the Center for Political Communication, is free and open to the public. 

Elzie has become an international storyteller for the Black Lives Matter movement. Since she attended her first protest in Ferguson, Missouri, last August, she has used Twitter to create a loyal following.

Mckesson and Elzie created We the Protesters and Campaign Zero to reduce police violence and provide tools for protesters. 

Mckesson has upwards of 220,000 followers on Twitter, which both he and Elzie use to communicate with fellow activists and a wider audience.

Both Elzie and Mckesson were listed on Fortune Magazine’s top 50 world leaders in 2015. They were also awarded the Howard Zinn Freedom to Write Award in 2015 for their activism.

About the series

The 2015 National Agenda series includes six speakers and four films designed to stimulate conversations about equality and identity, all scheduled at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesdays in Mitchell Hall on the UD campus in Newark. Presentations are free and open to the public.

The director of the series is Lindsay Hoffman, associate director of UD's Center for Political Communication.

National Agenda includes both speakers and films. The next film screening will be Mississippi Burning on Oct. 7, and the next speaker will be journalist Peter Bailey on Oct. 14.

National Agenda is supported by the College of Arts and Sciences, the Office of the Provost, the Center for the Study of Diversity and the William P. Frank Foundation of Delaware.