Celebrating the Past, Charting the Future: Commemorating 50 Years of Black Students at Duke University

Duke Performances is pleased to announce that the 10-piece Grammy-winning Billy Childs Jazz Chamber Ensemble featuring acclaimed jazz singer Dianne Reeves with the Ying Quartet will offer the world premiere of Childs’ ‘Enlightened Souls’—a major new song cycle commissioned by Duke Performances commemorating the 50th anniversary of black students at Duke.

Join us at an upcoming event as we continue commemorate 50 years of black students at Duke University.

The public is invited to attend the Bull City Gridiron Classic Movie Night, featuring the documentary film “Starting at the Finish Line: The Coach Buehler Story,” narrated and produced by NBA basketball player and Duke alumnus Grant Hill.

On the heels of President Obama’s remarks last week regarding the disconnect between the black and white experience America, more than 400 predominately African-American Duke alumni gathered in Washington, D.C. to commemorate the integration of the university 50 years ago.

Black alumni gathered in D.C. last weekend for an evening of reflection on their Duke experiences.

Duke Boston Event: Celebrating the Past, Charting the Future; Celebrating 50 Years of Black Students at Duke, May 29, 2013.

From data in this year’s report, note that we continue to make progress in increasing the number and distribution of black faculty across the university.

Ida Stephens Owens grew up in Whiteville, North Carolina. She came to Durham to attend North Carolina College at Durham, now North Carolina Central University, where she graduated summa cum laude with a B. S. degree in Biology in 1961. In March of this same year, the Duke University Board of Trustees voted to integrate its graduate and professional schools. Dr. Owens was recruited to Duke’s Graduate School in 1962 by Dr. Daniel C. Tosteson, then chair of the Department of Physiology, who later went on to become president of the American Physiological Society, serve as dean of the Harvard Medical School for 20 years, and be appointed a trustee of Duke. Dr. Tosteson was intentional in his effort to visit surrounding black colleges to identify promising students for advanced study in the sciences. It was during such a visit to North Carolina College that he was introduced to Dr. Owens by Dr. James S. Lee, then chair of Biology at North Carolina College at Durham.

The Washington, DC regional event on July 20 will highlight the theme of “Sankofa: Linking Back, Looking Forward.” Sankofa is symbolized by bird moving forward but looking backward with an egg in its mouth. The egg has been collected because it holds the wisdom of the past and is necessary to fulfill the promise of the future. Come celebrate with us as we look forward to the future of Duke University!

Join Southern California alumni and friends to mark this momentous anniversary with a special event. Friday, June 28, 6:30-10 p.m. (program begins at 7:30 p.m.)