LSU Clarence L. Barney Jr. African American Cultural Center Announces 2020 Distinction in Diversity Honorees

02/21/2020
BATON ROUGE – The LSU Clarence L. Barney, Jr. African American Cultural Center will honor Black History Month at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 29, at the 27th Annual Clarence L. Barney Jr. African American Cultural Center Jazz Brunch. This year’s brunch will be held at the LSU Tiger Stadium Club South. The event will feature a performance by George Bell and Friends and proceeds will support the mission, initiatives and student programs of the LSU Clarence L. Barney Jr. African American Cultural Center.

The Distinction in Diversity Honorees are members of the LSU Community that have exemplified a commitment to leadership and inclusive excellence. The distinction is bestowed upon members of the LSU community who have made significant and meaningful contributions to LSU and the communities which they serve, professionally, personally, civically or otherwise.

“We are truly excited about this year’s Jazz Brunch, and our always amazing list of honorees,” said Dereck J. Rovaris Sr., vice provost for diversity and chief diversity officer. “Please make plans to join us for good food, good music, and a good time recognizing the 2020 Distinction in Diversity class.”

In 2020, the Distinction in Diversity award will be presented to five path breaking LSU alumni. The honorees are:

Mahmoud Abdul Rauf is the only college basketball freshman to average 30 points per game. Abdul- Rauf was named a first-team All-American in 1989 and 1990, becoming in 1989 just the second freshman to receive first-team All-America recognition from the Associated Press. He was a two-time consensus SEC Player of the Year, and he scored in double figures in 63 of his 64 games at LSU, including over 20 points 52 times, over 30 points 28 times, over 40 points 11 times and over 50 points four times. At the end of his collegiate career, he held the LSU all-time record for most three-point field goals made (172), and he still holds the school single-season mark for highest free-throw percentage (91 percent).

Abdul-Rauf was the third overall pick in the 1990 NBA Draft by the Denver Nuggets, and he played in the league for nine seasons with the Nuggets. He twice led the NBA in free throw percentage, and he voted the league’s Most Improved Player in 1993. In 1996, he did not stand for the National Anthem for religious and political reasons and went on to play the Sacramento Kings and the Vancouver Grizzlies. Following the Jazz Brunch, Abdul-Rauf’s jersey will be retired at the LSU vs. Texas A&M basketball game. He will become the 14th LSU athlete or coach to have his/her jersey retired, and the 5th men’s basketball player.

Seimone Augustus: Before she became a three-time Olympic gold medal winner and WNBA Finals MVP, Augustus attended LSU where she compiled a 121-19 record, won the SEC Tournament crown, NCAA Regional Most Outstanding Player, Roy F. Kramer SEC Female Athlete of the Year, and the SEC, USBWA, and Basketball Times National Freshman of the Year. Beyond her national and international success in athletics, Augustus formed our own non-profit, The Seimone Augustus Foundation. The Seimone Augustus Foundation works to provide opportunity and raise awareness around health and wellness, with a special focus on issues surrounding hunger and heart health.

Rachel Emanuel is an award-winning public relations professional, documentarian, author, and lecturer. Emanuel has served most of her 35-year professional career in Louisiana public higher education beginning at the LSU Office of Public Relations. She recently retired as director of communications and development support at the Southern University Law Center in Baton Rouge, after 18 years. Emanuel’s documentaries: “Journey for Justice: The A. P. Tureaud Story,” and “Taking a Seat for Justice: The 1960 Baton Rouge Sit-Ins,” have been recognized in local, state, and national competitions. Her books, “A More Noble Cause: A. P. Tureaud and the Struggle for Civil Rights in Louisiana,” was published in 2011 by LSU Press; “Images of America: Scotlandville,” was published in 2015 and Southern University Law Center in 2018, both by Arcadia Publishing. The Shreveport, La., native earned the bachelor’s and master’s degrees in journalism and public relations from LSU in Baton Rouge and a doctorate in journalism from the University of Texas at Austin. Emanuel is currently on the board of directors for the Supreme Court of Louisiana Historical Society and the A. P. Tureaud Legacy Committee.

Leo Hamilton is a current Breazeale, Sachse and Wilson law firm partner. Hamilton graduated from LSU in 1973 and Paul M. Hebert Law Center in 1977. Among his many accomplishments, Hamilton is credited with being the first African American Bar Association President in the state of Louisiana. Outside of his work, Hamilton actively serves his community as a past president of the American Red Cross and in current work with the 100 Black Men’s Organization, Capital Area United Way, the Rotary Club of Baton Rouge, and is a member of the A.P. Tureaud, Sr. Black Alumni Chapter of the LSU Alumni Association.

Ambassador Linda Thomas Greenfield: After graduating from LSU in 1974 with a Bachelor's degree in political science, Thomas-Greenfield held diplomatic positions at U.S. embassies in Lagos, Nigeria, Banjul, Gambia, and Nairobi, Kenya. Among other high positions in the U.S. Department of State, she also served as Ambassador of the United States to Liberia from 2008 to 2012 before taking position as the assistant secretary of state for african affairs in the United States Department of State's Bureau of African Affairs from 2013 to 2017, where she led the development and management of U.S. policy toward sub-Saharan Africa, with a focus on economic empowerment, investment opportunities, peace and security, and democracy and governance. Thomas-Greenfield is credited with helping diversify the Foreign Service during her time as director general and has been awarded the Hubert Humphrey Public Leadership Award, the Bishop John T. Walker Distinguished Humanitarian Service Award, and the Warren Christopher Award for Outstanding Achievement in Global Affairs, as well as the Presidential Rank Award and the Secretary’s Distinguished Service Award. Thomas-Greenfield is currently senior vice president at Albright Stonebridge Group and leads the firm’s Africa practice.

The LSU Office of Diversity a division of the Office of Academic Affairs committed to fostering inclusive educational opportunities and an equitable workforce environment at LSU. The office provides leadership to ensure that diversity is a vital component in all decision-making processes on all administrative, academic, budgetary, and strategic planning fronts. The office is also responsible for supervising and guiding professional units whose purpose and mission is to promote understanding and respect for difference. These units include the Office of Multicultural Affairs, the Clarence L. Barney, Jr. African American Cultural Center, and the Women’s Center. Similarly, the Office of Diversity works closely with university committees, commissions, task forces, and affinity groups whose charge is to support underrepresented LSU community members. For additional information about the programs and initiatives of the LSU Office of Diversity, visit our website at http://www.lsu.edu/diversity

Tickets and sponsorships for the LSU Clarence L. Barney Jr. African American Cultural Center are available at www.lsufoundation.org/jazzbrunch

 

 

Contact Emmy Hicks
LSU Office of Diversity
225-578-8039
ehicks@lsu.edu  

or

Ernie Ballard
LSU Media Relations
225-578-5685
eballa1@lsu.edu