FAMU hosting award-winning journalist Soledad O’Brien at free event. Here are the details
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As Black History Month is celebrated across the nation, part of Florida A&M University’s celebration will include an evening with award-winning journalist Soledad O’Brien on campus Thursday.
The highly acclaimed journalist — who is also an author, entrepreneur, reporter and executive producer known for the 2022 documentary film “The Rebellious Life of Mrs. Rosa Parks” — will join FAMU President Larry Robinson for a Black History Month Conversation event at 6 p.m. Thursday in the Lee Hall Auditorium. The event is free and open to the public.
Topics discussed will include clips from the film about Parks and her activism as the documentary continues to stream on Peacock since its release in October.
“We’re delighted to welcome Soledad O’Brien to our campus for this timely conversation about Rosa Parks, an American icon,” Robinson said in a prepared statement. “Soledad’s career is a testament to her unstinting passion and commitment to tell important, often overlooked stories. We look forward to hearing the conversation about this true heroine of the Civil Rights Movement.”
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A Saint James, New York native with Black, Cuban, Australian and Irish roots, O’Brien is well decorated with numerous awards that include three Emmys, the George Peabody award, the NAACP’s President’s Award and the Gracie Allen Award.
Having been a first-generation student, she received her bachelor’s degree in English and American literature from Harvard University in 1988.
Early on in O’Brien’s career, she worked at NBC News in New York City in 1991 as a field producer for “Nightly News” and “Today."
She has also reported and anchored for NBC News, MSNBC and CNN, appeared in networks such as Fox and Oxygen and wrote the books "Latino in America” and “The Next Big Story: My Journey through the Land of Possibilities."
The trailblazer wears many hats as she currently reports for HBO Real Sports, the PBS NewsHour and WebMD while also anchoring and producing the Hearst Television political magazine program “Matter of Fact with Soledad O’Brien.”
As the founder and CEO of Soledad O’Brien Productions — a documentary production company that tells untold stories about issues related to race, class, poverty and more — O'Brien played a significant role in the 2022 film on Parks as her company helped produce the movie.
Saturday marked the late civil rights activist’s 110th birthday.
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“Rosa Parks mentored and was a champion of youth activists,” O’Brien, 56, said in a university release. “I can’t think of a better way to celebrate her and her legacy than by speaking to the students at FAMU. They are the leaders of today and tomorrow.”
In addition to Thursday’s event featuring O’Brien, here are other activities being held by FAMU throughout February to celebrate Black History Month:
Afro-Cuban Dance Lesson - Feb. 15 at 6 p.m., FAMU Student Union’s Dance Studio
Black History Trivia with the Greeks - Feb. 22 at 6 p.m., FAMU Rattler's Den
Annual Harambee Festival - Feb. 25 at 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Cascades Park
Student Pop-Up Shop - Feb. 27 at 11 a.m., Will Packer Performing Arts Amphitheater Lawn
2nd Annual Trailblazers Awards - Feb. 27 at 6:30 p.m., FAMU Grand Ballroom
Contact Tarah Jean at tjean@tallahassee.com or follow her on twitter @tarahjean_.
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This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: FAMU to host Soledad O’Brien for Black History Month Conversation
