Ossie Davis, the celebrated actor, playwright and civil rights activist, will deliver the keynote address on Monday, Jan. 20, when the School of Medicine celebrates the life and memory of Martin Luther King Jr. The program is free and open to the public.
In his address, titled "Scenes from Our Story: We are Still Marching," Mr. Davis will dramatically reflect on his life as an actor who has been closely involved with the civil rights movement and was a personal friend to many of the movement's noted leaders.
His address and the presentation of the annual Distinguished Service Awards to medical and public health students, will begin at 1 p.m. in the Mary S. Harkness Auditorium, Sterling Hall of Medicine, 333 Cedar St. A 3 p.m. reception in the Beaumont Room will follow the program.
"We are delighted to bring Ossie Davis to Yale and to New Haven to celebrate this important day," states Dr. Forrester A. Lee, assistant dean of multicultural affairs at the School of Medicine. "He speaks eloquently on many aspects of black history, civil rights, the arts and politics. His 1965 eulogy of Malcolm X still lingers in my mind."
Author of the Tony Award-winning play "Purlie Victorious," Ossie Davis has also appeared in "Raisin in the Sun" and "I'm Not Rappaport." His film credits include "Do the Right Thing," "Get on the Bus," "School Daze" and "Jungle Fever," all with Spike Lee; "The Client"; and the upcoming film version of "I'm Not Rappaport."
Mr. Davis and his wife, actress Ruby Dee, have also produced numerous programs televised on the Public Broadcasting Service, including "Martin Luther King: The Dream and the Drum," "A Walk through the 20th Century with Bill Moyers" and the critically acclaimed series "With Ossie and Ruby." He and his wife recently received the National Medal of Arts Award, presented by President Bill Clinton and Hillary Rodham Clinton.
Arrangements for the appearance of Ossie Davis were made through Program Corporation of America, White Plains, New York.