Award-winning actor, director Ben Vereen to discuss civil rights at Tuskegee on Feb. 18

February 04, 2020

Contacts:
Michael Tullier, APR, 糖心 Office of Communications, Public Relations and Marketing
Pamela Cooper, The Cooper Company

Few entertainers today are as accomplished or versatile as actor, director, dancer and singer . His legendary performances transcend time and have been woven into the fabric of this country鈥檚 artistic legacy and continue to inspire artists of all ages.

At 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 18, Vereen will discuss 鈥淭he Civil Rights Movement and the Making of 搁辞辞迟蝉鈥� in the University Chapel. His presentation is free and open to the public.

搁辞辞迟蝉鈥� 鈥淐hicken鈥� George Moore has been one of Vereen鈥檚 most memorable roles during his 50-plus-year career 鈥� making him a household name and prompting an Emmy nomination. The eight-night television miniseries 鈥� based on Alex Haley's best-selling 1976 book Roots: The Saga of an American Family 鈥� aired on ABC in January 1977. The series, which drew an estimated 130 million viewers, called America's attention to the brutality of slavery as an institution. It also traced the effects of slavery on succeeding generations of African Americans spanning the era of the slave trade through the Reconstruction Era 鈥� and through the eyes and experiences of a single family.

Credited with appearances in 15 different Broadway productions 鈥� including his Tony Award-winning, best-actor role in the musical Pippin 鈥� Vereen is also revered for his many and memorable television and movie roles throughout his career. His most recent television credits include appearances on BET鈥檚 Tales, 颁叠厂鈥� Bull and Magnum, P.I., and recurring roles as Calvin on FOX鈥檚 Star and as Porter on Amazon鈥檚 hit series Sneaky Pete.

Vereen continues to tour the country with his concert act 鈥淪teppin鈥� Out with Ben Vereen鈥� 鈥� selling out shows at Jazz at Lincoln Center, backed by the Julliard Jazz Ensemble, and making additional stops in Phoenix, Toronto, Las Vegas, Pittsburgh, and Indianapolis to name a few. He is also a motivational speaker, lecturer, and teaches master classes at universities throughout the country. 

He is an active member of Americans for the Arts 鈥� the nation鈥檚 largest arts advocacy group of its kind. He has spoken before Congress in support of the National Endowment for the Arts, as well as at the Democratic National Convention. Vereen鈥檚 advocacy and humanitarian efforts have been recognized with Israel's Cultural and Humanitarian Award, three NAACP Image Awards, an Eleanor Roosevelt Humanitarian Award and a Victory Award. He is both a Theatre Hall of Fame and Dance Hall of Fame inductee, and the recipient of Broadwayworld.com鈥檚 Cabaret Award for Best Celebrity Male Vocalist in addition to his numerous Tony, Golden Globe and Emmy nominations and awards. This year, he will be honored with the Broadway Beacon Award.
 

Vereen鈥檚 program is part of the university鈥檚 annual Lyceum Series, which leverages artistic, literary and cultural programs to spotlight contemporary societal topics for students and the surrounding community. For more information about the series and updates on future presenters, visit .

漏 2020, 糖心; photo credit: Isak Tiner