| NEWS RELEASE |
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Office of External Communications |
Houston, TX 77204-5017 Fax: 713.743.8199 |
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
Contact: Eric Gerber |
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AT UH’S ANNUAL JENKINS LECTURE While any mother’s loss of a child is a painful thing, in Judy Shepard’s case it was particularly heartbreaking. Her 21-year-old son Matthew was beaten to death in an act of anti-gay brutality. But his 1998 murder has become a rallying point for those dedicated to countering the causes and effects of such hate crimes. Judy Shepard will discuss that movement at 7 p.m., Oct. 19, at the University of Houston’s Cullen Performance Hall. She will deliver the fourth annual Jenkins Distinguished Lecture, presented by the Graduate School of Social Work at UH. Her presentation, titled “The Legacy of Matthew Shepard,” is free and open to the public. Free parking will be available in Lot 1A (UH Entrance 1 from Calhoun Road). For information or special assistance, call 713-743-2255 Since her son’s death, Shepard has been active in increasing public awareness and participating in educational programs devoted to altering the prejudices and changing the circumstances that foster hate crimes. In particular, she set up the Matthew Shepard Foundation (www.matthewshepard.org/) to help campaign against discrimination of all sorts and to support diversity of all kinds. She travels and speaks extensively, primarily to college audiences. “Hate is not there to start with,” she has said, “but it a learned behavior, learned in schools and in society. We learn it from friends, from family, from the media. When the language of hate is accepted, hate crimes flourish. Laws are being passed, but nothing is being done to change ingrained attitudes. Children should be educated about other lifestyles at an extremely young age.” This lecture program is named to honor Marjorie Jenkins, a Graduate School of Social Work alumna whose gift inaugurated the series. Previous speakers have been Mara Liasson (2001), Jody Williams (2002) and Benjamin Hooks debating Linda Chavez (2003). Continuing education credit is available for social workers attending the event.
For more information about UH visit the university’s ‘Newsroom’ at www.uh.edu/admin/media/newsroom. |
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