Charlayne Hunter-Gault, one of the first two black students admitted to the University of Georgia, will deliver a talk about her experiences in college and beyond on Jan. 10, 50 years after she first registered for classes.
Her 50th Anniversary Lecture, which takes place at 3 p.m. in Mahler Auditorium in the Georgia Center for Continuing Education Conference Center and Hotel, is part of 50 days of events on campus to commemorate the anniversary of integration.
It is open free to the public.
“It’s hard to believe that it’s been 50 years since Hamilton [Holmes] and I walked through the gates of the university as its first two black students,” Hunter-Gault said. “And yet, to still be alive and able to reflect on those 50 years is a unique challenge as well as opportunity-and I am excited about looking back and sharing memories of those years with young people and trying to see what I can contribute to their own unique challenges and opportunities so that they may put their stamp on the next half century. I hope I can share with them some of my journey in some way that may inspire them on their 50-year journey.”
A graduate of the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication, Hunter-Gault has built a successful career for herself with positions in newspapers, magazines, radio and television. When asked about what she’ll talk about, she said she was still working out the details.
“We used to sing an old song during the civil rights movement called ‘How I Got Over,’ ” she said. “Well, that comes about as close as I can get right now.”
