Newswise — Juan Williams will deliver the 2010 Whitman College Commencement address at the ceremony on May 23.
Renowned for bringing insight and depth to a wide spectrum of issues and ideas, Juan Williams is an author and journalist with a diverse background of experience. He is a senior correspondent for National Public Radio, a regular panelist on FOX Broadcasting’s Sunday morning public affairs program and anchor of the network’s weekend daytime live news coverage. He also has appeared on numerous television programs, including ABC’s “Nightline,” PBS’ “Washington Week in Review” and “Oprah.”
A Haverford College graduate and trustee, Williams spent more than 20 years at The Washington Post, serving as an award-winning editorial writer, op-ed columnist and White House correspondent. He is an Emmy award winner for television documentary writing and has achieved widespread critical acclaim for a series of documentaries including, “Politics: The New Black Power” and “A. Philip Randolph: For Jobs and Freedom.”
"His liberal arts background and his view from the media perspective suit him well for addressing the 380 graduates of Whitman College, who are known for their intellectual curiosity," said President George Bridges. The title of Williams' address is "Surprise your parents, surprise your friends, but most of all surprise yourself."
Williams has written six highly regarded books on the state of our nation, including the nonfiction bestseller “Eyes on the Prize: America’s Civil Rights Years, 1954-1965,” the companion volume to the critically acclaimed television series. “This Far by Faith: Stories from the African American Religious Experience,” and most recently “Enough: The Phony Leaders, Dead-End Movements and Culture of Failure That Are Undermining Black America – and What We Can Do About It.” He also has written numerous articles for such national magazines as Fortune, The Atlantic Monthly, Ebony, GQ and The New Republic.
“We are honored to welcome Juan Williams to Whitman as our Commencement speaker,” President Bridges said. “His contributions as a journalist, writer and public intellectual have helped shape our collective understanding of race in American society. As a graduate of Haverford College, he has capitalized on his liberal arts education and become a nationally acclaimed author and journalist. His work has chronicled and analyzed the African American experience in the second half of the twentieth century and proffered a powerful critique of black leadership in the post-civil rights era.”
Whitman’s Commencement takes place on the Memorial Building south side lawn, beginning at 11 a.m. For updates and more information about Commencement 2010, visit the event Web site.
Whitman College, in Walla Walla, Wash., is nationally renowned for offering a rigorous, well-rounded liberal arts undergraduate education. An independent, non-sectarian residential college, Whitman fosters intellectual vitality, confidence and leadership in its 1,450 students. Also noted for its commitment to environmental principles, Whitman is characterized by intellect, down-to-earth sensibilities, collaboration over competition and active lifestyle.
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