Purdue News

January 6, 1999 Tony Brown to speak at Purdue in honor of MLK Day WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- Tony Brown, host of the nation's longest-running African-American public affairs show, will help Purdue University remember of the life and work of Martin Luther King Jr. on Tuesday, Jan. 19. Download Photo Here Tony Brown Brown will talk about "Addressing the Legacy of Martin Luther King Jr." at 7 p.m. that day in Loeb Playhouse, Stewart Center. The speech, sponsored by the Office of Human Relations, is part of the university celebration of King's birthday. The event is free and open to the public. Alysa C. Rollock, interim vice president for human relations, said Brown was one of the first names to come up when her office began considering speakers for an event to honor King. "Brown is one of the foremost commentators on the civil rights movement, having been involved in the marches of the 1960s, and he continues to provide ideas about how to advance the movement today," Rollock said. Called television's "civil rights crusader" by Black Enterprise magazine, Brown is one of America's leading commentators in the broadcasting industry. A writer, lecturer, educator and community activist, he is most noted as the host and executive producer of "Tony Brown's Journal," the nation's longest-running national black affairs television series. The much-quoted television host is seen weekly nationwide on more than 240 public television stations. Brown also writes a weekly syndicated column that appears in more than 100 newspapers. The Council of National Alumni Associations -- an umbrella group representing 92 of the nation's 111 black colleges -- selected him for its first Hall of Fame Award. Brown previously has been named "The Man of the Year" by the National Newspaper Publishers Association, an association of the nation's African-American newspapers, and one of the "100 Most Influential Black Americans" by Ebony magazine. Source: Alysa C. Rollock, (765) 494-5830; e-mail, acrollock@humanrel.purdue.edu Writer: J. Michael Willis, (765) 494-0371; e-mail, mike_willis@purdue.edu Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; e-mail, purduenews@purdue.edu