Judy Shepard speaks about violence

Judy Shepard will speak at UNT about her son, hate crime victim Matthew Shepard, and his legacy as part of "Beyond Getting Along," an ongoing dialogue on diversity, from noon to 1:30 p.m. April 22 in the Auditorium Building.

A videotaped introduction of the forum and Shepard will be presented by Debbie Denmon, WFAA Channel 8 news anchor and UNT journalism graduate. Warren Burggren, dean of the UNT College of Arts and Sciences, will present the opening remarks. Von Eaglin, UNT College of Business Administration graduate student and special assistant for diversity and community in UNT housing and residence life, will assist Shepard as she answers questions from the audience. Eaglin will also offer closing remarks.

In October 1998, Shepard lost her 21-year-old son to a murder inspired by anti-gay hate. Matthew's death focused the public's attention on the impact of violence and moved thousands of people across America to attend vigils and rallies in his honor.

Determined to prevent their son's fate from befalling other people, Judy and her husband, Dennis, established the Matthew Shepard Foundation to carry on Matthew's legacy by embracing the causes he had championed. Shepard says she uses her grief over her son's death to make a difference. She now speaks to audiences nationwide about what they can do to make their schools, workplaces and communities safer for everyone, regardless of their race, ethnicity, country of origin, gender, religion, sexual orientation or individual differences.

With a focus on the impact of violence, Shepard's lecture is the first event in the "Beyond Getting Along" series. BGA is a campuswide coalition hosting forums that encourage a greater understanding of diversity, inclusiveness and respect. BGA was initiated as a result of the groundwork of Burggren and Cassandra Berry, UNT associate vice president for equity and diversity.

For more information about Shepard's lecture, call Dan Emenheiser at (940) 565-2456 or visit www.cas.unt.edu/bga.

BY KELLEY REESE kreese@unt.edu

Other featured articles in this issue

• Ireland's former head of state to speak at UNT
• Hurleys honored at UNT Alumni Awards Banquet
• State cuts force May 1 benefit changes
• Spring means keeping an eye on the sky
• UNT leads Texas in number of Goldwater scholarship winners
• Staff Council gets campus development report
• New voice mail system to provide users with new and improved services
• UNT expert explains when, how parents should talk to their children about war

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