Ebony and Ivory Weekend begins at Penn State
January 28, 1984
Ebony and Ivory Weekend was organized by Alpha Phi Alpha and Beta Sigma Beta fraternities. Espousing similar goals to its predecessor, Brotherhood Day (1981 – 1983), the program was made up of a series of workshops, seminars, and concerts. Co-Chairperson, Keith Burris, indicated that the program was intended to “break the ice†that had formed between blacks and whites on campus. Over the years, several notable people have performed and made appearances. Some of those notables include Shirley Chisolm, Roberta Flack, Spyro Gyro, Calvin Hill, Stanley Jordan, Edward James Olmos, Bobby Seale, Anita Hill, Gloria Steinem, Principal Joe Clark, and Bobby McFerrin. Now, Ebony and Ivory Week has expanded its scope to address religion, gender, sexual orientation, as well as race.
