Naomi Tutu, an international human relations scholar, will speak Wednesday, Oct. 17, at 7 p.m. in the Nott Memorial.
Tutu, the daughter of Archbishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa, will discuss the Diana Legacy Fund, an international campaign to bring hospice care and other services to people dying of AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa. The talk, free and open to the public, is sponsored by the President’s Office, UNITAS and Blue House.
The Legacy Fund is named after Diana, Princess of Wales, who supported AIDS causes before her death 10 years ago. Organizers hope to raise $10 million in the next five years to benefit AIDS patients in the region, which contains nearly 50 countries south of the Sahara. The money will be used to train personnel and provide drugs, housing and transportation services.
One of the people who helped launch the Legacy Fund was Phil Di Sorbo ’71. As the co-founder and executive director of the Foundation for Hospices in Sub-Saharan Africa, Di Sorbo regularly visits AIDS-ravaged Africa to offer assistance.
Before her public lecture, Tutu will speak with students in Professor Deidre Hill-Butler’s class, Sociology of the Family, at 2 p.m. in Room 014 of the Social Sciences building. Tutu also will meet with student leaders who will be working on the Diana Legacy Fund and attend a dinner at 5 p.m. in Blue House.
Born in South Africa during apartheid, Tutu is an internationally recognized speaker and consultant on gender, race and international relations. She founded and chaired the Tutu Foundation, which provides scholarships and support to South African refugees in African countries.
Tutu is currently the associate director of the Office of International Programs at Tennessee State University.