MLK Symposium 2009  Tags: civil_rights african_american environmental_studies  

Keep watching this guide for more information about Jerome Ringo and the 2009 MLK Symposium activities.

Jerome Ringo is the president of the Apollo Alliance. A dedicated champion of environmental justice and clean energy, he is one of the most influential conservationists in the U.S. today. He is a member of the Green Group and Newsweek's Environment and Leadership Council. Ringo was the only African-American delegate at the 1998 Global Warming Treaty Negotiations in Kyoto. Ringo became the first African American to head a major conservation organization when he served as chairman of the board of the National Wildlife Federation from 2005 to 2007.

Jerome Ringo, one of the most influential conservationists in the U.S. today, will speak about how he became involved in environmental justice and his current efforts promoting energy conservation and independence.

Ringo began organizing environmental justice groups after observing the negative impact of pollution on primarily poor and minority groups in Louisiana, where he worked for many years in the petrochemical industry. He eventally decided to devote all of his time to conservation efforts. Ringo is president of the Apollo Alliance, a coalition of labor, environmental, national security, civil rights, and business leaders fighting to make America independent from foreign energy.

For information about MLK Day events at Longwood, contact Lonnie Calhoun, Director of Multicultural Affairs, at 434.395.2395 or visit the website of the Office of Multicultural Affairs & International Student Services.

Save the date!

• Mon, Jan 19, 2009: MLK Service Challenge, 9 am to 3 pm. Join other students in service projects during the MLK holiday. Registration and more information here.
• Thu, Jan 22, 2009: Conversation with Jerome Ringo. Lankford Ballroom ABC, 10:00 am. Longwood students, faculty and staff are invited to an informal discussion with Jerome Ringo. Please RSVP to Lonnie Calhoun at the Office of Multicultural Affairs and International Student Services.
  
• Thu, Jan 22, 2009: "The Drum Major Instinct" Community Reading. Lankford front steps, 12:15 pm.
• Thu, Jan 22, 2009: MLK Speaker - Jerome Ringo. Jarman Hall, 3:30 pm. Open to the entire Longwood community. Members of the public who wish to attend should contact Lonnie Calhoun at the Office of Multicultural Affairs and International Student Services.
• Thu, Jan 22, 2009: Community Reception. Moton Museum, 5:30 pm. Join speaker Jerome Ringo immediately after his presentation. Shuttles will be available from Longwood to the Moton Museum.