Bunker Hill Community College Applauds Nobel Laureate Tawakkol Karman
Tuesday, April 14, 2015
Yemeni women’s rights activist and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Tawakkol Karman visited BHCC as part of the College’s annual Compelling Conversations speaker series. Before her talk, Karman enjoyed a lunch prepared by Culinary Arts students, and met with members of the Islamic and Arab Student Associations and the Student Government Association. After her presentation, Karman answered questions from the audience and signed autographs in the college Art Gallery.
The first Yemeni and the first Arab woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize, Karman was a leader of the mass uprising in Yemen that forced President Ali Abdullah Saleh to resign in 2011. A senior member of the Al-Islah political party, Karman continues to work for democracy in Yemen, despite the deteriorating security situation in the country.
“I expect a lot from all of you,” said Karman, who noted that “it is the Facebook and Twitter generation, the new generation,” that drives change in Yemen. Karman encouraged BHCC students to embrace freedom and equality, the values of America’s founders.
For a decade, Compelling Conversations has brought high profile speakers to Bunker Hill Community College to discuss their professional experience and provide inspiration for students. Speakers have ranged from feminist Gloria Steinem and advocate for the deaf Marlee Matlin to Grammy award-winning rapper Ice-T. Learn more about the BHCC Compelling Conversations Series at bhcc.edu/cc.
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About Bunker Hill Community College
With more than 50 years of academic excellence, Bunker Hill Community College (BHCC) is Massachusetts' largest community college, annually welcoming a diverse community of around 16,000 students. With campuses in Charlestown and Chelsea, BHCC extends its reach across several locations in Greater Boston. The College offers associate degrees and certificates, early college and dual enrollment, community education, corporate training, and industry-specific training programs. BHCC is celebrated for its diversity, boasting a student body where 65% identify as people of color and more than half are women. The College also embraces a global perspective, with over 600 international students representing 90 countries and conversing in more than 65 languages. Our commitment to diversity is further reflected in BHCC's designation as a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) and an Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institution (AANAPISI).