Husband-and-wife duo Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn, who combine journalism and activism in their unique brand of reporting centered on human rights abuses and advocacy, were the featured presenters at the fourth Â鶹´«Ă˝ Presidential Speaker Series on Nov. 14 in the Kent Student Center Ballroom. Kristof and WuDunn are the first married couple to win a Pulitzer Prize in journalism for their coverage of China’s Tiananmen Square democracy movement.
Their appearance was sponsored by Kent State’s Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and the College of Communication and Information. Approximately 650 people attended the free event.
“These are front-line journalists who have seen the world’s history unfold in front of their eyes, and their perspective demands our attention,” said Kent State President Lester A. Lefton. “Human rights continue to be a dominant issue around the world – one that our students will face as they enter the global workforce. Kristof and WuDunn’s message resonates with both our heads and our hearts.”
In 1990, Kristof and WuDunn earned a Pulitzer Prize for International Reporting for their reporting on the pro-democracy student movement and the related Tiananmen Square protests of 1989. They co-wrote “China Wakes: The Struggle for the Soul of a Rising Power” and most recently penned the best-selling “Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide.”
For more information about Â鶹´«Ă˝â€™s Presidential Speaker Series, visit .