The Class of 1969 Initiative Lecture will take place on Monday, April 7, 2025, in the Burgin Centre for the Arts’ Simon Theatre. This year, LaToya Ruby Frazier, named in TIME’s list of 100 Most Influential People 2024, will share her experience with our community. The school minister, Rev. Dr. William Whitmore, hopes the community will see how the medium of art, and specifically photojournalism, can be used to tell stories and inspire change.

Born in 1982, in Braddock, PA, Frazier is an artist-activist who uses photography, video, performance, installation art, and books to raise awareness for social justice, cultural change, and commentary on the American experience. In 2024, the Museum of Modern Art exhibited her work composed of photography, text, moving images, and performance to show labour, gender, and race in the postindustrial era. 

The Class of 1969 Global Engagement Initiative Lecture exposes students and faculty to learning through the broadest possible global lens; or, more specifically, the goal is to expose students and faculty to complex world issues through visits throughout the year from scholars, political and journalistic figures, and visual and performing artists.

Please note that this is a required event for all students, taking place after semi-formal dinner.