Civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump will speak on campus for an event titled “Know Your Rights: Knowledge for Your Soul,” hosted by the brothers of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc., on Wednesday, Feb. 5, at 7:11 p.m. in Goldstein Auditorium. Known for working on high-profile cases including representing the families of Trayvon Martin and Michael Brown Jr., Crump’s Tallahassee-based law firm has become a nationally renowned practice for civil rights cases.
Benjamin Crump
Crump, a North Carolina native, graduated from Florida State University in 1992 with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice. He continued his studies there, subsequently receiving a juris doctorate in 1995. Crump is also a lifetime member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc.
During this visit, Crump will discuss his life and personal struggles fighting against racial injustice in the American judicial system, along with educating students of color on ways to protect themselves against the biases within today’s America. The discussion is part of a semi-annual event week hosted by the Kappa chapter of the fraternity that seeks to uplift the campus and local community through educational and social engagement activities.
Josiah Kabemba ’20, basileus of the Kappa chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, is proud to host Crump. “These kinds of events are always important to have because of the current state of our country,” he says. “It is our duty to inform the public on how we can protect ourselves and our families if we’re caught in such an unfortunate circumstance. … Knowing our rights and hearing information from an attorney who has battled against this type of injustice could potentially save our lives one day.”
Tickets are free and available via the Student Box Office website.
For more information or to request accommodations, contact Debbie McKie, senior program coordinator in the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Affairs, at dlmanobi@syr.edu or call 315.443.2718.
Story by Division of Enrollment and the Student Experience communications intern Abigail J. Covington ’19, G ’20.
