A prominent educator, philanthropist and mentor, Cosby is the founder of NVLP, which interviews scholars, humanitarians, activists and history makers who share their stories and proffer wisdom. This oral history collection is comprised of nearly 300 interviews of influential and extraordinary African Americans, including the late Shirley Chisholm, eminent historian John Hope Franklin and pioneering civil rights attorney Percy Sutton as well as actress Ruby Dee, poet Sonia Sanchez, Drs. Dorothy I. Height and Maya Angelou; the collection is housed at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C.
“NVLP was created with a mission to preserve and share the lessons learned by African American pioneers with the next generation of up and coming leaders,” shares Cosby. These extraordinary elders receive an invitation to share their stories when they reach age 70. “Vision to Visionaries is a dynamic way for the elders we have interviewed to share their life stories and provide answers that can help motivate, empower and inspire leadership in our youth. We are especially excited to launch Vision to Visionaries at Spelman College with this phenomenal group of American legends.”
Two Visionaries enlightened the audience filled with eager and attentive students and community leaders at the first event of the “2010 A Legacy of Change” series. Panelists Jasmine Guy, Jackie Joyner-Kersee and Morgan Pierce, Spelman’s Student Government Association president, joined Dee and Sanchez in a candid thoughtful discussion on womanhood, values and careers. A poised and serene Cosby moderated the session. The Atlanta event was hosted by lead sponsor Bank of America and the Home Depot Foundation.
Nearly two decades ago, Bill and Camille Cosby donated $20 million to Spelman, which was then the largest ever in the history of black institutions. Cosby commented how it was a pleasure to see the facility has been well taken care of and put to good use since her last visit in 1996. –yvette caslin
