An Endowed Lecture Series with a Message of Nonviolence, Courage and Compassion
UC San Diego’s Office for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion joined forces with the Division of Extended Studies to present a memorable evening on May 17, 2024.
The Helen Edison Lecture Series was established through a major gift in the 1980s from the late Helen Edison, a San Diego philanthropist who supported numerous local educational, cultural and arts efforts. She envisioned an endowed fund that would provide resources in perpetuity for free admission to public lectures exploring human rights and social issues, public policy, science, the arts and technology in an interdisciplinary and collaborative environment with speakers chosen for their expertise and ability to communicate effectively.
Previous speakers include renowned Princeton sociologist Matthew Desmond; architect and senior curator of the Department of Architecture and Design at New York’s Museum of Modern Art, Paola Antonelli; and investigative journalist, Bob Woodward. This past May, UC San Diego welcomed Bernice A. King, global thought leader, strategist, solutionist, orator, peace advocate and CEO of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Center For Nonviolent Social Change.
More than 400 guests from UC San Diego and the local community gathered at The Jeannie in the North Torrey Pines Living Learning Neighborhood to hear King in conversation with Cheryl A.M. Anderson, professor and dean of UC San Diego Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science. In a discussion about King’s childhood and her father’s legacy, lessons emerged illuminating King’s thoughts on leadership, the state of the world, and the importance of nonviolence.
“That's one of the reasons that my father stressed [nonviolence] and used it in the movement: because people were at the end of their rope in terms of the injustice system and the inhumanities that they were experiencing. And it was like, how do we channel this in a constructive way? And nonviolence enables you to do that.”
King’s appearance was made possible through a collaboration with the Division of Extended Studies and the Office for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI). Becky R. Petitt, vice chancellor for EDI, reflected on the evening with King, “In her lecture, she didn’t just share words, but gifted us a symphony of empowerment, stirring us to confront inequity with courage and compassion. We are encouraged to continue building a future where justice reigns supreme and dignity knows no bounds.”
