Author, journalist, cultural critic and television host Touré ’89 will be the Sally Bowles ’56 Keynote Speaker at Milton’s 2018 Keyes Seminar Day, scheduled for Wednesday, May 2.
Touré, the former co-host of MSNBC’s The Cycle, and a regular contributor at The Daily Beast, has written several books, including I Would Die 4 U: Why Prince Became an Icon and Who’s Afraid of Post-Blackness? What It Means To Be Black Now.
“He’s a dynamic speaker,” history department faculty member Sally Dey says of Touré, who has returned to Milton for previous events. “I think the students will enjoy hearing from him.”
Seminar Day is a Milton tradition since 1977, founded by former faculty member Peter Keyes, a legendary promoter of student interest in political process as well as public and governmental affairs and service. In the Milton spirit of developing students’ confidence and competence to live by our motto, “Dare to be true,” Seminar Day brings to campus individuals who have made compelling choices. They are scholars, business people, scientists, educators, writers, political leaders and artists making a difference in the world.
Students will hear from Touré in the beginning of Seminar Day and then will attend two additional seminars throughout the day. Other speakers include Dr. David King, a trauma surgeon who trains people to stop severe bleeding in emergencies, Tom Shapiro, author of Toxic Inequality: How America’s Wealth Gap Destroys Mobility, and Sarah Hoit ’84, P’21, co-founder and CEO of Connected Living.
“It is an opportunity to bring together in one day speakers with expertise in a lot of public issues,” Sally says. Speakers are invited to campus by students on the Public Issues Board, who seeking experts working in a variety of fields such as environmental science, economics, social entrepreneurship, medicine and technology.
The Sally Bowles ’56 Keynote Speaker series was started by Sally’s friends and family, who wish to honor the intellectual curiosity and rigor that marked Sally’s pursuits, as a student and a professional. Sally was focused on big, bold ideas affecting millions of people. She was on the team that developed the Peace Corps; she helped decentralize New York City public schools; she was the director of Medicaid and ran Connecticut’s welfare programs. Over time, and thanks to this Fund, students will listen to a wide range of perspectives on issues critical to the health of society in the United States and around the world.