Trevor Noah to speak at annual MLK celebration

Trevor Noah to speak at annual MLK celebration

"The Daily Show" host will speak about his book "Born a Crime" in the Carrier Dome in January.
Published: August 23, 2018
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This is turning out to be the year of Trevor Noah at Syracuse University.

Not only will his book Born a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood be read and discussed by all of SU’s first-year and transfer students as part of the Syracuse Reads Program, but Noah will also be speaking at this year’s Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration

The announcement was made at Thursday night’s new student convocation that Noah will be a special guest at this year’s event on Sunday, Jan. 27, in the Carrier Dome. He will engage in an on-stage conversation on his book, the life and legacy of King and the global impact of the civil rights movement.

A South African immigrant known for his award-winning, politically charged stand-up comedy and replacing Jon Stewart on Comedy Central’s The Daily Show in 2015, Noah has performed both at The Landmark Theatre and Cornell University in the past year.

His book, Born a Crime, which discusses his experiences growing up in South Africa at the tail-end of apartheid with a black South African mother and white European father, will be the subject of campus-wide reading and discussion for the upcoming academic year.

A copy of the book was distributed to each new SU student as part of an initiative to create a shared experience during their first year on campus. The book was chosen by the Provost’s Office for its themes of diversity, inclusion and identity.

Almost 4,000 copies were provided to students in the anticipation of the school year, and more free copies are available in the bookstore for interested faculty, staff and students.

The reading program will include discussion sessions and peer-led groups to analyze the reading, several academic assignments and an invitation to the annual King celebration. Political commentator Angela Rye was the keynote speaker at this year’s event.

In a press release, SU expressed hope that the continued discussion around the book will reaffirm the university’s dedication to diversity and inclusion and encourage students to think more deeply about identities in the world around them.

According to the release, more information on this year’s MLK celebration will be available later in the fall semester.