November 19, 2001 The Color Purple author Alice Walker to speak at King convocation By Louise Donahue Activist Alice Walker, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Color Purple, will be the keynote speaker for this year's Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Convocation. Alice Walker has written novels, short stories, and poems. The annual event, sponsored by UCSC and the city of Santa Cruz, will be at 7 p.m. on January 23 in the Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium. Born the daughter of sharecroppers in Georgia, Walker has written six novels, as well as short stories and poems. The Color Purple won the Pulitzer in 1983 and was made into a movie directed by Steven Spielberg. Other bestsellers include Possessing the Secret of Joy and The Temple of My Familiar. Her books have sold more than 10 million copies. "Alice Walker is a brilliant writer and will have a lot to offer our Santa Cruz community," said John Holloway, executive director of Development and Community Services. "She will be a wonderful person for the convocation, particularly during this time. She's a very good tie-in to what King stood for," he said. Akasha Hull, writer-lecturer and UCSC professor emerita of women's studies, also praised Walker's selection. Hull's latest book, Soul Talk: The New Spirituality of African American Women, includes material from conversations Hull had with Walker. "Alice is a terrific choice. She'll be able to say powerful and provocative things to us about our political situations and also move us with her deep, caring spirituality," said Hull. "What I'm always struck by in my interactions with Alice is her uniqueness, original thought, and strong character." Walker first became involved in civil rights while attending Spelman College in Atlanta for two years. She transferred to Sarah Lawrence College in New York, and after college moved to Mississippi. There, she continued to be involved in civil rights issues and began teaching and publishing short stories and essays. Walker, who lives in the Bay Area, has taught at many colleges and universities, and was named a Distinguished Writer in African American Studies at the University of California, Berkeley. One of her books, Anything We Love Can Be Saved, describes her spiritual growth and roots in activism, and explores issues as wide-ranging as feminism and race, banned books, dreadlocks, and gender communication. "My activism--cultural, political, spiritual--is rooted in my love of nature and my delight in human beings," she wrote. Walker has been active in a range of national and international issues. She has written about and worked for years against the practice of female genital mutilation practiced in some cultures, and has long opposed U.S. policy toward Cuba. She participated in a "Hands Off Cuba" rally at the White House in 1962, has traveled to Cuba, and opposed continuation of the embargo against Cuba in a letter to then-President Clinton. Walker's appearance is free and open to the public. Tickets are not required.