WHO: April Ryan, journalist, political correspondent and award-winning author. Since 1997, Ryan has served as the only black female White House correspondent reporting on urban issues, covering four presidential administrations for American Urban Radio Networks as their Washington D.C. bureau chief. Ryan’s first book, The Presidency in Black and White: My Up-Close View of Three Presidents and Race in America (2015), received an Image Award from the NAACP. Her latest book, Under Fire: Reporting from the Front Lines of the Trump White House, was published in 2018, and details her experience as a presidential reporter in the current administration. She joined CNN as a political analyst in 2017, and regularly posts on her personal blog, Fabric of America.
WHAT: USI’s annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Luncheon, sponsored by the USI Foundation and the USI Multicultural Center. The event will include remarks from USI president Dr. Ronald Rochon, performances by campus and local arts organizations and a keynote address by Ryan. Prior to the luncheon, Ryan will hold a book signing and a question-and-answer session for attendees.
WHEN: 11 a.m. Monday, January 20. Books will be available for purchase at the event through the USI Campus Store. The event is sold out, and additional tickets will not be available at the event.
WHERE: Carter Hall, located in University Center West. A map of campus that includes University Center and all parking lots can be found at USI.edu/map. Additional overflow seating will be located in University Center East.
PARKING: A limited amount of media parking will be available in Lot N on a first come first served basis.
MEDIA AVAILABILITY: Ryan will address the media at 10:40 a.m. in University Center room 226, located next to Carter Hall. Please contact Ben Luttrull, media relations specialist, at 812-461-5259 or bluttrull@usi.edu if you plan to attend.
KEYNOTE RECORDING: Out of respect for the speaker, all media will be limited to two (2) minutes of recording time for the keynote address. All other events are free and open for recording and rebroadcast. Still photography is welcome at any time.
PARKING SHUTTLE: Shuttle service will be available from Lot C and Lot I to the University Center.
