By Jenny Wells, July 15, 2019 - University of Kentucky News - LEXINGTON, Ky. (July 15, 2019) —To begin a yearlong series of events to commemorate 70 years of integration at the University of Kentucky, the UK Office for Institutional Diversity (OID), the Student Activities Board (SAB) and other key partners will host an opening assembly 9 a.m. Friday, Aug. 30, in Memorial Coliseum featuring Trevor Noah, host of Comedy Central's "The Daily Show."
Tickets are free to UK students and employees with a valid UK ID, and are required for entry. Beginning 9 a.m. today, students may reserve tickets at https://ukytickets.universitytickets.com/w/event.aspx?id=1506. UK employees may reserve tickets beginning 9 a.m. Monday, July 29. The public may purchase tickets for $10 each plus a processing fee beginning 9 a.m. Monday, Aug. 5.
UK students may obtain one free ticket per UK ID, and UK employees may obtain two free tickets per UK ID. The public may purchase up to four tickets per person.
The 9 a.m. assembly will be moderated by UK College of Education Dean Julian Vasquez Heilig. In addition to Trevor Noah, the assembly will also feature remarks from UK representatives and the granting of an honorary doctorate to Doris Wilkinson, one of the first African Americans to graduate from UK and an emeritus professor in the UK College of Social Work.
UK students and employees also have the alternative option of watching the assembly via simulcast in the concert hall of UK's Singletary Center for the Arts. After the program concludes in Memorial Coliseum, Noah will come to the Singletary Center and answer questions. This will be moderated by Brandon Colbert, a May 2019 UK graduate and social justice educator with UK's Bias Incident Support Services (BISS). A UK ID is required to enter the Singletary Center the morning of the event, and seating will be offered on a first-come, first-served basis.
To submit a question for Noah to be considered for the program, please email VPid@uky.edu.
In addition to being an accomplished comedian and television personality, Noah is also the author of "Born A Crime," a nationally acclaimed autobiography focused on his childhood growing up in apartheid South Africa. This assembly will draw on Noah's reflections of his life from South Africa to the United States, sharing thoughts on the importance of diversity and social justice dialogues.
"Born a Crime" will be available to purchase at the UK Bookstore next month.
Information on the opening assembly featuring Trevor Noah as well as other events related to UK's commemoration of 70 years of integration can be found on the UK Office for Institutional Diversity's webpage at www.uky.edu/diversity/70years.