Division A - Public Relations Programs
Category 9 - Special Events
Celebration of the 10th Anniversary of Stetson University’s Howard Thurman Program
Stetson University
Award of Distinction
Judges' Award
Research/Situation Analysis:
The Howard Thurman Program at Stetson University, honoring a man who
mentored leaders of the American civil rights movement, has transformed
Stetson and its larger community over the past 10 years. The program
works to unite people in a search for solutions to social, religious
and ethnic problems. Launched in 1996 and directed by the Rev.
Jefferson P. Rogers, the cornerstone of the program is an annual
lecture series featuring world-class speakers who were leaders in the
civil rights movement or activists, authors or scholars working on
similar issues today. Before each lecture, dozens of invited community
leaders – educators, pastors and leaders of community programs – join
with faculty, students and staff to share a meal, talk about our
community and focus on the Thurman Program lectures. Many of the guests
are from DeLand’s historically African American Spring Hill community,
where students, faculty and staff are involved in tutoring, youth
empowerment projects and business and money management workshops. The
program brings them together at Stetson. Through 10 years of Thurman
Lectures, members of the campus community have come to understand the
social, economic and political effects of slavery and white privilege.
According to Stetson President Doug Lee, this was a catalyst for a
campus-wide grassroots outreach to the economically disadvantaged in
the nearby town of Pierson and the Spring Hill community.
Objectives: Through the 10-year anniversary
celebration of the Howard Thurman Program, we sought to (1) showcase
the program’s success and legacy, (2) secure plans to create a
documentary honoring Rogers and Thurman, (3) celebrate Stetson’s
commitment and involvement in the greater community and provide the
inspiration to work to solve racial problems.
Implementation: Preparations began in January
2006 with a committee from a broad section of the university. Public
Relations explored coverage opportunities with local and major media,
including Black PR Newswire, to provide advance coverage of the event,
and worked with University Media Services to add Web pages to the
university’s Thurman site, which incorporated video links, speaker
names and stories. Printed materials included coordinating publications
for the actual event: invitations; posters; a program insert of the
two-day event; a four-color shell distributed both as an event keepsake
and mailed with information after the event; and articles written for
the spring 2006 issue of the Stetson University magazine. The
celebration was a two-day event titled “Transformations—The Power of
Howard Thurman.” “Looking Back, Looking Forward,” on April 17, 2006,
featured a rough-cut preview of a documentary by anthropologist and
filmmaker John L. Jackson Jr. of the University of Pennsylvania and
discussion about his research project on Thurman, Rogers and Stetson’s
Thurman Program; and reflections on the program by students and
officials. Approximately 100 persons attended. On April 18, 250
university and community members heard performances of Thurman’s
meditations and jazz music by Marvin Chandler, Everett Greene, Frank
Smith and Kenny Phelps. In his remarks, President Lee paid tribute to
Rogers’ vision for the program and reflected on the program’s community
impact. Chandler and special guests, including dinner and lecture
attendees who provide the backbone of the community portion of the
Thurman Program, approximately 75 in all, were honored at an
invitation-only dinner at the President’s House. The Spring Hill Boys
and Girls Club Chorus provided the evening’s entertainment.
Evaluation: (1) The two-day program successfully
marked the 10th anniversary of the Howard Thurman Program with an
approximate 50 percent increase in attendance per commemorative event.
There was an overwhelmingly positive response to the visual materials
showcasing the inception of the program, its history and photos of more
than 60 world-class Thurman Lecturers, which increased awareness of the
changes taking place within the university and greater communities.
Participation of the Spring Hill Boys and Girls Club reinforced the
partnership that the Stetson and Spring Hill communities are fostering.
Local media coverage of the subsequent lectures revealed that
attendance has increased for the lecture series, up to 200 guests per
event. Guests and attendees wrote letters of appreciation with comments
about the events and the influence that Stetson University has in the
community. (2) A documentary by professional filmmaker John Jackson Jr.
is in progress. (3) Due to the increased awareness brought about by the
lecturers of the Thurman Program, campus outreach is evidenced by
additional media coverage of the events as well as the grassroots
efforts of Stetson students, faculty and staff in the Spring Hill and
Pierson communities. Interviews with students, faculty and staff reveal
an increase in volunteerism and an ever-growing commitment to the
vision of service and advocacy for the community. Faculty members
facilitate community projects and students participate in CAUSE
(Campaign for Adolescent and University Student Empowerment) and YAR
(Youth as Resources), both student-driven, as well as Greek
philanthropic or social justice-centered activities. For instance,
Stetson’s CAUSE members were honored as a select group by the Mount
Zion A.M.E. Church in February 2006 for their positive impact in Spring
Hill. Stetson has an ongoing partnership with the Bonner Foundation,
which supports a network of more than 50 colleges and universities
committed to quality service. In 2005, Stetson had 19 Bonner Leaders
and, since then, the partnership has blossomed into an expanded
relationship, with Stetson being named a Bonner Scholar institution,
and the Foundation is ready to provide approximately 60 scholarships
next year, an increase from the current level of 31 Bonner Leaders.
Budget: Many internal resources were used,
including staff time, for planning and implementation. In-house print
and Web publications design, media contacts and other planning totaled
about 500 staff hours. Other costs: outside audio visual recording and
photography, $1,785; honoraria and travel for Marvin Chandler and
associates, $6,614; dinner, $752; printing and advertising, $1,178; and
flowers and other miscellaneous costs, $900.