Myrlie Evers-Williams 90th Birthday Tribute: A Legacy of Leadership

450 North College Way,Claremont CA 91711

22 March, 2023

Description

Join Myrlie Evers-Williams '68 and family, along with the Pomona College and greater Los Angeles communities, in a tribute to her life and leadership at this special event in celebration of her 90th birthday. Evers-Williams fought for justice for decades after her husband’s assassination, stepped forward to lead the NAACP at a critical time and gave the invocation before a global audience of millions at President Obama’s second inauguration. Now, as she nears 90, the civil rights pioneer has donated her archival collection to her alma mater Pomona College to inspire future generations. The thousands of items, ranging from photos with U.S. presidents to campaign materials to congressional transcripts, offer tangible touchpoints of Evers-Williams’ – and the nation’s – turbulent journey toward justice through the Civil Rights Era. Evers-Williams says her time at Pomona, where she graduated with a sociology degree in 1968, changed the course of her life and that the College was the natural choice for stewarding the collection. “I don't want to get too emotional,” says Evers-Williams. “But it was Pomona College, it was the teachers here who helped me move ahead and come out of this feeling of drowning … And it was my being here at Pomona with the instructors here and the other people who did not smother me. They gave me space. But they surrounded me by love, understanding and saying, ‘Yes, you can.’” The public event will begin with a reception and viewing of pieces from the archival collection, followed by a tribute presentation by President G. Gabrielle Starr and special guests. This event will be live-streamed for remote audiences. Additional information on accessing the live-stream will be posted here as it becomes available. The event will be live-captioned for both in-person and remote audiences.