COCC’s 15th Season of Nonviolence set to celebrate Malcolm X and Nelson Mandela

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- The Season of Nonviolence at Central Oregon Community College is set to commence its 15th season advancing ideas of empowerment for a nonviolent society.

The program’s cornerstone event is “Lessons from Our Fathers: Continuing the Legacies of Nelson Mandela and Malcolm X,” a free presentation and discussion with Ndaba Mandela and Ilyasah Shabazz at 6:30 p.m., on Thursday, Jan. 26, at the Tower Theatre in downtown Bend.

Ndaba Mandela and Ilyasah Shabazz, the grandson of Nelson Mandela and daughter of Malcom X, respectively, will share inspirational stories and empowering lessons that draw on the legacies of their iconic and beloved family members.

The event is offered in-person and via livestream. The in-person option is sold out and the Tower Theatre is now offering a waitlist. Contact the Tower Theatre box office to join the in-person waitlist at 541-317-0700 or info@towertheatre.org, or visit towertheatre.org. The venue is also offering a livestream link, and the COCC Madras campus will be livestreaming the event as well.

Visit cocc.edu/seasonofnonviolence for the complete Season of Nonviolence schedule, which spans from mid-January through mid-March.

Both Mandela and Shabazz have dedicated their life’s work to continuing the call for social justice. “I think it’s crucial to find your voice — to know the love of who you are at your core so you do not look to others for validation of your worth, and then to find your purpose for both self and others, grounded with a focus on improvement and change ultimately for the collective us,” said Shabazz, author and adjunct professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, reflecting on the legacies of her father and Nelson Mandela.

Mandela’s grandson, Ndaba, author and founder of the Africa Rising Foundation, points to celebrated qualities of his grandfather, such as compassion, integrity, patience and empathy, that can serve as guiding principles for all to live by. “Not just remembering them,” he said of his grandfather and Malcolm X’s legacies, “but actually living according to their beliefs and life principles.”

In March, the COCC Season of Nonviolence will welcome two free programs from The Conversation Project, sponsored by the nonprofit group Oregon Humanities: “Emerging from Our Homes” and “Relationships for Resilience,” which focus on nurturing community connection. A full announcement detailing those programs will be forthcoming and also available at cocc.edu/seasonofnonviolence.

For more information on COCC’s 2023 Season of Nonviolence, contact Charlotte Gilbride, coordinator of the Nancy R. Chandler Lecture Series, at 541-383-7257 or cgilbride@cocc.edu, or Christy Walker, director of diversity and inclusion, at 541-383-7412 or cwalker2@cocc.edu.