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Evening with local civil rights champion Nov. 9
4:20 p.m., Oct. 16, 2006--University of Delaware alumnus Leonard L. Williams will talk about his experiences as a UD student, his career as a civil rights lawyer and his experiences as a municipal judge in Wilmington at 5:30 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 9, in Bayard-Sharp Hall. The discussion will be preceded by a reception at 4:30 p.m. The moderated forum titled, “An Evening with a Delaware Hero: A Conversation with Leonard L. Williams,” will examine the history of African-American students at UD and civil rights history in Delaware. The audience will be encouraged to participate in the dialogue. A native of Wilmington, Williams enrolled at UD in 1952, two years after Parker v. University of Delaware, the case that desegregated the University in 1950. He was an outstanding scholar and a star player on the varsity football team. Williams graduated from UD and earned his law degree from Georgetown University. Williams returned to Delaware in the late 1950s and practiced law with Louis L. Redding until Redding's retirement. Williams worked with Redding on many important civil rights cases including, among others, Evans v. Buchanan, the New Castle County school desegregation litigation. He also served as a municipal judge in Wilmington. “Leonard Williams was a pioneer who prevailed against tremendous obstacles,” Leland Ware, the Louis L. Redding Professor of Law & Public Policy at UD and one of the organizers of the event, said. “When he was a student at UD, Deer Park and other segregated establishments on Main Street refused to serve African-Americans. Williams' outstanding accomplishments are an important part of Delaware's history and should serve as an inspiration for minority students and other members of the UD community.” The event is free and open to the public, but reservations are recommended. To make reservations, contact Wanda Moore at [wlm@udel.edu] or (302) 831-8971. |
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