President's Lecture Series
The St. Philip’s College President’s Lecture Series provides opportunities for the college and the community to hear speakers’ perspectives on a broad range of local, regional, national, and international issues. The lectures are provided at no cost to the audience and are designed to attract students, faculty, and staff as well as the greater San Antonio Community.
Save the Date
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Victor Blackwell
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Bio
Victor Blackwell is an Emmy award-winning journalist, correspondent and co-anchor of CNN This Morning Weekend with Victor Blackwell and Amara Walker in Atlanta. He is also the host of First of All with Victor Blackwell, airing Saturdays at 8 a.m. ET.
Previously, Blackwell anchored the weekend editions of New Day and CNN Newsroom from the network’s global headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia.
In 2020 Blackwell received an Emmy award in the category Outstanding News Analysis: Editorial & Opinion for his commentary “‘Infested,’ He Says,” about President Donald Trump’s description of Rep. Elijah Cummings’ Maryland district – his home district.
Blackwell has reported and anchored on-the-scene for many breaking news stories, including CNN’s Emmy-nominated coverage of the simultaneous shootings in El Paso, Texas and Dayton, Ohio, as well as the devastation in the Bahamas following Hurricane Dorian. He also played a pivotal role in the network’s reporting on the protests following the 2020 deaths of George Floyd and Rayshard Brooks. Blackwell also covered of Hurricanes Harvey and Irma (2017), the shooting at Pulse Nightclub in Orlando (2016), protests in his hometown of Baltimore following the death of Freddie Gray (2015) and the death of Georgia teen Kendrick Johnson (2013), among others.
In 2018 Blackwell marked the 50-year anniversary of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s death by coordinating an exclusive interview with civil rights icons Ambassador Andrew Young and Reverend Jesse Jackson at the Memphis motel where King was gunned down. This was the first time the two visited together since King’s death.
Blackwell came to CNN in 2012 from WPBF 25 News in West Palm Beach, Fla., where he served as an anchor where he was honored with several regional Emmy nominations, two Telly awards, several Associated Press awards and honors from the Society of Professional Journalists. He also earned the prestigious Edward R. Murrow Award and the UNITY Award, both from the Radio Television Digital News Association, for a special report on the disproportionate dropout rate amongst young black men.
Prior to his tenure at WPBF, Blackwell worked for WTLV/WJXX in Jacksonville, Fla. He broke into journalism writing for the Community Times newspaper in Columbia, Md. He worked as a producer for Radio11 WBAL in Baltimore and as a co-producer for WHUT-TV in Washington. He also worked for WPMT-TV in York, Penn., and WHAG-TV in Hagerstown, Md.
Blackwell earned a B.A. in Broadcast Journalism from Howard University and in 2016 was named one of the University’s Top 150 Distinguished Alumni.
About: http://www.cnn.com/profiles/victor-blackwell#about
The Three Doctors: "The Pact"
September 19, 2019
11 a.m., Watson Fine Arts Center
Drs. Sampson Davis, Rameck Hunt, and George Jenkins, fondly known as “The Three Doctors,” are extraordinary role models for anyone who has been through any kind of life challenge or major hardship. As teenage boys growing up on the tough inner-city streets of Newark, New Jersey, these three kindred spirits made a pact: they would stick together, go to college, graduate, and become doctors. Surrounded by negative influences and having few positive role models made this a difficult feat. Now, years later, these three men have overcome countless obstacles and proudly bear the subtitle of doctor, serving as the face of health and education for youth and families across our country.
Margot Lee Shetterly, author of Hidden Figures
September 20, 2018
11:30 a.m., Watson Fine Arts Center
"Mexico is my adopted country, and St. Philip's College is a great representative of Latino and Black heritage and academics. I've done Black History Month celebrations; this is my first Hispanic Heritage Month! Muchas gracias!”
Thus began the Hispanic Heritage Month speaking debut of Hidden Figures author Margot Lee Shetterly for the 2018 St. Philip's College President’s Lecture Series project, which includes seminars and lectures on September 20, 2018, in labs, auditoriums, and e-viewing rooms during a mix of physical and virtual presentations on the college’s campus at 1801 Martin Luther King Drive.
May 3, 2018
5 p.m., Watson Fine Arts Center
Dr. Ruth Simmons, president of Prairie View A&M University, celebrated San Antonio’s Tricentennial at St. Philip’s College. Simmons recounted her own challenges on her path to higher education, having been the 12th child born to sharecroppers in Grapeland, Texas, and implored her audience to remember how education changes communities and families. She was the keynote of a celebration that included San Antonio Symphony, Sam Houston High School Band, actress Antoinette Winstead and 22 local African American artists.
For more of our previous President's Lecture Series guests, click on the link below.