This is a message from St. Joseph’s College, published in its entirety.
In celebration of Black History Month, the Office of Multicultural Student Life at St. Joseph’s College (SJC) will welcome Ken E. Nwadike, Jr., founder of the “Free Hugs Project,” on Thursday, Feb. 9, at 1 p.m. in the McGann Conference Center of O’Connor Hall at SJC Long Island in Patchogue.
Ken E. Nwadike, Jr., peace activist and video journalist, will speak about his “Free Hugs Project,” a creative and interactive program that engages students in conversations of understanding and compassion, as opposed to hatred and racism.
Nwadike, Jr. is one of the nation’s top motivational speakers for young adults and has spoken at hundreds of schools and conferences inspiring students and professional groups of all ages. Nwadike, Jr. has been featured on CNN, NBC and FOX, and in the New York Times, Boston Globe, San Diego Union-Tribune, Buzzfeed and USA Today.
“In celebration of Black History Month and diversity, we invited Nwadike, Jr. to speak on campus,” said Christy Banks, director of multicultural student life at SJC Long Island. “He will share with us how spreading love can begin to combat any racism or hate that exists in our communities and the world.”
Additional Black History Month events at SJC Long Island include a Black Inventors & Activists art exhibit, a Baptist gospel performance and a talk on race relations by Deputy Police Commissioner Risco Mention-Lewis, the first African-American and woman to be appointed to the position of Suffolk County Deputy Police Commissioner.
The “Free Hugs Project” event is free and open to the public. For more information about Black History Month at SJC, call the Office of Multicultural Student Life at 631.687.4593 or email [email protected].
ABOUT ST. JOSEPH’S COLLEGE
St. Joseph’s College has been dedicated to providing a diverse population of students in the New York metropolitan area with an affordable education rooted in the liberal arts tradition since 1916. Independent and coeducational, the College provides a strong academic and value-oriented education at the undergraduate and graduate levels, aiming to prepare each student for a life characterized by integrity, intellectual and spiritual values, social responsibility and service. Through SJC Brooklyn, SJC Long Island and SJC Online, the College offers degrees in 49 majors, special course offerings and certificates, affiliated and pre-professional programs.
