Former Washington Wizard, activist, author and motivational speaker Etan Thomas will deliver UMW’s Black History Month keynote address on Feb. 12.
Former Washington Wizard, activist, author and motivational speaker Etan Thomas will deliver UMW’s Black History Month keynote address on Wednesday, Feb. 12 at 7 p.m. in the UC’s Chandler Ballroom.
Thomas is a prolific author of poetry, nonfiction books and articles. His 2018 work, We Matter: Athletes and Activism, is one of Book Authority’s Top Ten best activism books of all time. The African-American Literary Awards named it a best nonfiction book for 2018. Thomas received the 2010 National Basketball Players Association Community Contribution Award for social justice and the 2009 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Foundation Legacy Award. He writes for The Guardian and is seen on MSNBC and ESPN as a special correspondent. He also co-hosts a radio show, The Collision, where sports and politics intersect.
Hosted by the James Farmer Multicultural Center, the event is part of Farmer Legacy 2020, a yearlong celebration honoring the 100th anniversary of the birth of the civil rights icon and late Mary Washington professor Dr. James L. Farmer Jr., who orchestrated the Freedom Rides in 1961 to desegregate interstate transportation and bus terminals. UMW is committed to advancing Farmer’s work in social justice and civic engagement, and like Thomas, is preparing young people to address our society’s greatest challenges. Read more.