Judy Shepard, Mother of Matthew Shepard, Rescheduled to Speak at UC on May 5

Judy Shepard, executive director of the Matthew Shepard Foundation, which is named in memory of her slain son, will lead a discussion at the University of Cincinnati at 7 p.m., Tuesday, May 5, in the Great Hall of Tangeman University Center. The event is free and open to the public.

UC’s Student Activities and Leadership Development (SALD) announced the new May 5 date after an April 6 appearance was postponed due to illness.

Matthew Shepard’s death became a call for acceptance as vigils and rallies were held in his memory around the nation and the world, after the 21-year-old was murdered in an anti-gay hate crime in 1998.

The Matthew Shepard Foundation is dedicated toward championing social justice, diversity awareness and education, and the call to respect each individual – values reflected in the principles of UC’s Just Community initiative.

As executive director of the organization, Judy Shepard oversees the overall management and strategic direction of the organization and travels around the nation to speak to audiences about how to encourage their own communities to champion acceptance regarding race, religion, ethnicity, sex, gender identity and sexual orientation.

The event is sponsored by Student Activities & Leadership Development (SALD), MainStreet, the UC Honors Program, UC Women’s Center, Omicron Delta Kappa, United Black Student Association, Ethnic Programs & Services, GenderBloc and Out on Campus.

For more information on the UC discussion, contact Terri M. Hurdle, program coordinator for Student Activities & Leadership Development (SALD), at 513-556-6115, e-mail terri.hurdle@uc.edu