MCAN Resources
- Created 1 May 2009; Published 5 May 2009Convocation: Kip Fulbeck
Kip Fulbeck is an award-winning artist, slam poet and filmmaker. He is the author of Permanence: Tattoo Portraits, Part Asian, 100% Hapa, and Paper Bullets: A Fictional Autobiography, as well as the director of a dozen short films including Banana Split and Lilo & Me. Fulbeck has been featured on CNN, MTV, and PBS, and has performed and exhibited in over 20 countries. He speaks nationwide on identity, multiraciality and pop culture, mixing together spoken word, stand-up comedy, political activism and personal stories. A challenging and inspirational teacher, Fulbeck is a professor of art at the University of California, Santa Barbara, where he has been named an Outstanding Faculty Member four times. He is also an avid surfer, guitar player, motorcycle rider, ocean lifeguard, and pug enthusiast. A complete overachiever despite being only half Chinese, Kip is also a nationally-ranked Masters swimmer. The title of his presentation was "What Are You? The Changing Face of America."
- Created 10 April 2009; Published 15 April 2009Convocation: Daryl Davis
Daryl Davis, a Grammy Award winning blues and R&B pianist, took an extraordinary journey into the heart of one of America’s most fanatical institutions – the Ku Klux Klan. Driven by the need to understand those who, without ever having met him, hated him because of the color of his skin, Daryl decided to seek out the roots of racism. Davis met Roger Kelly, Imperial Wizard of the Invincible Empire Knights of the Ku Klux Klan, and began to explore the Klan, gaining real insight into its workings and members’ minds. This quest into the heart of ignorance and hatred gave Davis a ray of hope for harmony between races. Davis believes that after decades of violence and hatred, racism can be overcome as we get to know one another on a social basis, not under a cover of darkness. The author of the acclaimed book Klan-Destine Relationships, Davis seeks to empower others to confront their own prejudices and overcome their fears, establishing a common ground to help forge peace even with the most unlikely adversaries. The title of his presentation was "A Black Man's Odyssey into the Ku Klux Klan."
- Created 6 February 2004; Published 15 March 2004Convocation: Ellis CoseEllis Cose was a Chicago newspaper columnist before he was old enough to vote, and from that brilliant beginning has gone on to build successful careers in three related fields. A respected journalist, Cose has worked as reporter and columnist for several major newspapers; he is the author of a number of well-received books; and he has also served with government and university think tanks as an expert in journalism and the politics of energy. The title of his lecture is 'Beyond Expectations: Black Men and American Society'.
- Created 16 January 2004; Published 3 February 2004Convocation: Dick GregoryOn the frontline in the 1960s during the Civil Rights era, today Dick Gregory continues to be a drum major for justice and equality. Gregory is an African American comedian and civil rights activist whose social satire changed the way white Americans perceived African American comedians. The title of his lecture is "Keeping the Dream Alive."
- Created 16 May 2003; Published 22 May 2003Convocation: Maxine Hong KingstonAward-winning author Maxine Hong Kingston presents an historical overview of Chinese immigration to the United States and assimilation into American life and culture. Kingston has received numerous fellowships and other honors for her work, ranging from being named as a Living Treasure of Hawaii to winning an American Academy and Institute Award in Literature.
- Created 2 May 2003; Published 22 May 2003Convocation: Julia AlvarezThrough the mediums of poetry and prose, Julia Alvarez recreates the feelings of loss she experienced after her immigration to the United States, when she was ten years old. Although born in New York City, she spent her early years in the Dominican Republic until political insurrection forced the Alvarez family to flee the country.
- Created 18 April 2003; Published 23 April 2003Convocation: Wilma MankillerThe first woman to serve as principal chief of the Cherokee nation, Wilma Mankiller compares her job to "running a small country, a medium-size corporation and being a social worker."