Friday, Jan 28, 2005
WALLA WALLA, Wash.-- “Am I My Brother’s Keeper?” will be the question addressed by Black History Month keynote speaker Jaiya John when he visits the Whitman College campus Thursday, Feb. 10.
John, the author of an award-winning memoir, “Black Baby White Hands: A View from the Crib,” will speak at 6:30 p.m. in the Young Ballroom, Reid Campus Center, 280 Boyer Ave., Whitman College campus. His presentation is free and open to the public. Call 527-5596 for more information.
John, born of African, Seminole, Blackfoot and Cherokee descent, was adopted and grew up in a predominately Caucasian environment. His childhood compelled him to spend his life trying to improve the way human beings relate to each other, and he studied psychology at Lewis & Clark College in Portland and earned his doctorate in social psychology from the University of California, Santa Cruz.
John is the founder and Executive Director of “Soul Water Rising,” an educational mission devoted to improving human relations, combating prejudice and fostering spiritual growth. For more than a decade, he has traveled and spoken across the country, serving as speaker, poet, author and youth mentor.
John spent four years as a professor of social psychology at Howard University, and he has served as an editor and creative writing coach and a foster and adoptive family consultant. He has also worked as a diversity consultant and trainer of public school educators and taught English as a second language in Katmandu, Nepal. John has appeared on CNN, B.E.T., Fox Television and National Public Radio.
CONTACT: Lenel Parish, Whitman College News Service, (509) 527-5156
Email: parishlj@whitman.edu
