NFL player who came out as gay will address students at North Carolina university
Michael Sam, the first openly gay man drafted into the NFL, will discuss the importance of diversity and inclusion in the world of sports during a Feb. 26 Black History Month appearance at Wingate University, campus officials said.
His 7 p.m. talk, “From Friday Night Lights to the NFL,” is one of 12 free Black History Month events at the university’s main campus in the Union County town of Wingate.
Sam also will talk about his days as a star player at the University of Missouri and his time in the NFL. The St. Louis Rams drafted the defensive end in 2014. He announced his departure from football on Twitter a year later..
“The last 12 months have been very difficult for me, to the point where I became concerned with my mental health,” Sam tweeted. “Because of this I am 1/3“
Sam “has served as an example for resilience and inclusion ever since” his football days, Wingate University officials said in announcing his appearance.
Sam will speak in McGee Theatre in the Batte Center on campus.
While admission is free, tickets are required. Reserve a seat at tickets.wingate.edu.
Other Wingate University Black History events include:
▪ “Who was Emmett Till?” by Davis Houck, professor of rhetoric studies at Florida State University, 6 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 5 in Recital Hall in the Batte Center.
▪ Pass the Mic: Art Through Spoken Word Poetry, featuring Charlotte spoken word artists DeAngelo Dia and Precious Pauling, 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 6, also in Recital Hall in the Batte Center.
▪ Unmasking Blackface, by Debra Smith, professor of Africana Studies at UNC-Charlotte, 6 p.m. Feb. 10 in Recital Hall in the Batte Center.
▪ Factuality: A Game of Differences, 3:30 p.m. Feb. 12 in Laverne Banquet Hall.
▪ The Lost History of Wilmington, N.C., 3 p.m. Feb. 24 in Burris Hall 210.
▪ Faith in Action: Visionary Leadership in Sports, Business and Ministry, with 2017 Wingate football alum Andre Foulks, 3:30 p.m. Feb. 24 in Recital Hall in the Batte Center.
▪ Slave Patrols: The Earliest Forms of Policing in the U.S., 6 p.m. Feb. 26 in Recital Hall, Batte Center.
▪ Faith and Black Churches: A Staple in the Civil Rights Movement, with Davis Canton, associate professor of history at Connecticut College, 4 p.m. Feb. 27 in Neu Building 127.
This story was originally published February 1, 2020 at 4:48 PM.