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Source:
Brandon Clark, 785-532-5060 or 785-532-6436, bclark@k-state.edu
News release prepared by: Keener A. Tippin II, 785-532-6415,
media@k-state.edu
Tuesday,
October 10, 2006
K-STATE
FRATERNITY TO HOST LECTURE BY POLITICAL STRATEGIST DONNA BRAZILE
MANHATTAN
-- "A voteless people is a hopeless people."
Or
so says a national initiative begun by Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity
Inc. during the 1930s when many African-Americans had the right
to vote but were prevented from casting their ballots because of
poll taxes, threats of reprisal and lack of education about the
voting process.
Voter
education and registration have remained a dominant focus of this
historically black fraternity's outreach activities for more than
75 years. However, in the 1990s, the focus shifted to include political
awareness and empowerment, delivered most frequently through town
meetings and candidate forums.
In
an effort to continue that political awareness, the Kappa Tau chapter
of the fraternity at Kansas State University will sponsor a lecture
with political strategist Donna Brazile at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct.
17, in Forum Hall at the K-State Student Union. The lecture is free
and the public is welcome.
In
conjunction with Brazile's lecture, the fraternity also will conduct
a voter registration drive from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. through Oct. 13
at the Union. Assistance will be provided by the Black Student Union,
Hispanic American Leadership Organization, Workers of Wisdom Bible
Study, College Republicans and the Young Democrats. Fraternity members
also will be doing voter registration Oct. 17 before and after Brazile's
lecture.
Brazile,
the campaign manager for Al Gore's 2000 presidential campaign and
the first African-American to lead a major presidential campaign,
is the founder and managing director of Brazile and Associates.
She also serves as chair of the Democratic National Committee's
Voting Rights Institute, as well as an adjunct professor at Georgetown
University.
"We
decided to bring Donna Brazile to campus because 2006 is an election
year and we simply didn't want to just do a voter registration drive
on campus," said Brandon Clark, fraternity adviser.
Clark,
the multicultural coordinator for the K-State Alumni Association,
helped organize the event.
"We
wanted to bring someone to our campus who is passionate about being
involved in the political process and who can relate to all students
-- particularly our students of color, who are statistically more
likely not to vote," Clark aid. "We want her to come here
and encourage students and community members to get out and vote
because this right was paid with the blood, sweat and tears of those
who came before us and never had this right."
Clark
said while Brazile is a Democrat, she will not bring a partisan
message.
"She
will come and speak to everyone -- red and blue, conservative and
liberal, black and white -- about the importance of voting,"
he said.
Prior
to joining the Gore campaign, Brazile was chief of staff and press
secretary to Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton of the District of Columbia.
She is a weekly contributor and political commentator on CNN's "Inside
Politics" and "American Morning." In addition, she
is a columnist for Roll Call newspaper and a contributing writer
for Ms. magazine.
A
veteran of numerous national and statewide campaigns, Brazile has
worked on several presidential campaigns for Democrat candidates,
including Jimmy Carter in 1976 and 1980; the Rev. Jesse Jackson's
first bid for the presidency in 1984; Walter Mondale in 1984; Dick
Gephardt in 1988; Mike Dukakis in 1988; and Bill Clinton in 1992
and 1996.
In
addition to working on political campaigns, Brazile has served as
a senior lecturer and adjunct professor at the University of Maryland
and a Fellow at Harvard University's Institute of Politics. She
is the recipient of numerous awards and honors, including being
named one of Washingtonian magazine's 100 Most Powerful Women in
Washington, D.C., and the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation's
Award for Political Achievement.
A
native of New Orleans, Brazile earned her undergraduate degree from
Louisiana State University.
Her
K-State lecture is co-sponsored by the K-State Alumni Association,
American ethnic studies program, Black Student Union, Diversity
Programming Committee, office of diversity and dual career development,
the Dow Multicultural Resource Center, department of political science,
K-State Young Democrats and the women's studies program.
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