Jasmine Guy, actress from the television sitcom "A Different World," will deliver a lecture at an event entitled "Engaging the Torch: Unity Through the Arts," April 11 at 6:30 p.m. in the University Center Ballroom. The event is free and open to the public.
Guy will discuss unity through art and her own experiences as an art scholar.
"Jasmine Guy is an actress, dancer, author and singer. She is truly a scholar of the arts. And we are grateful to have her at The University of Memphis," said Janeta Reeves, allocation chair of Black Scholars Unlimited, the group hosting the event.
Guy has won six National Association for the Advancement of Colored People Image Awards for playing the role Whitley Gilbert in "A Different World."
"I will be star-struck when I see Jasmine Guy. I didn't know she was a person of so many talents. I think students will be surprised as well to see that," said Chantanavia Davis, allocation co-chair of Black Scholars Unlimited.
The event will begin with performers of different races and cultures singing, dancing and performing poetry.
"I always want to keep people aware of diversity," said Sarah Noor, sophomore health administration and Spanish major, who is performing a belly dance this year.
Photographers and painters will showcase their diversity-themed artwork outside the University Center Ballroom.
Anecia Monroe, co-chair of Black Scholars Unlimited, said the group wants to bring in random students to show off their artwork and demonstrate to others that the student body can come to together as one.
"Art is such a broad topic. We wanted to reach students on a different level of art that involved all cultures," Davis said.
Davis said she is excited the event is finally about to take place - the organization has been putting together the performance since October.
"I feel like our campus is segregated and our organization's main goal is to break those fixed groups on campus and bring them together," Monroe said.
