Finding Passion and Purpose with Mary Francis Berry

On the evening of Tuesday, January 20, the highly esteemed activist, professor, writer, lawyer, and historian Mary Frances Berry spoke to a public audience in Duke’s von der Heyden Theater, sharing her life stories of activism spanning more than four decades. Berry’s lecture, ‘Is Diversity and Inclusion Over?  Is Now Really the Time?’, was part of the Jean Fox O’Barr Distinguished Speaker Series coordinated by the Alice M. Baldwin Scholars program. 

The thread throughout Berry’s lecture was her belief in being dedicated to a cause, in pursuing action when you desire change, and in committing to justice, even when you do not have the support of the masses. She was empathetic to the challenges that young activists face today, often with harsher consequences than in the past for their pursuit of justice. 

When advising young people faced with finding a purpose in life and choosing causes to defend amongst so much injustice, Berry said, “You can do all these different things in life. It is possible. I am a living example that you can do them.”  

Image

On reflecting upon life, Berry noted her ‘unusual’ career path. After earning her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Howard University, she went on to achieve her doctorate in History at the University of Michigan, and then a J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School. Berry’s pursuit of multiple degrees across several fields evidences a sheer desire to make a difference, driven by multiple passions and purposes. 

As a professional, Berry held many important positions, including leading The University of Colorado at Boulder as Chancellor, the first Black woman to head a major research university. She continued to work in higher education, lecturing as a professor of History and Law at Howard University in 1980, and then at the University of Pennsylvania in 1984, where she became a tenured professor. 

Berry’s career in academia was intertwined with a distinguished career in public service, including serving as the Assistant Secretary for Education in the Department of Health, Education and Welfare in President Jimmy Carter’s administration in 1977, becoming appointed to chair the U.S Civil Rights Commission in 1980 (whilst teaching at Howard University), and co-founding the Free South Africa Movement in 1984 amongst several other leadership positions held on historical boards and in civil rights foundations. 

Berry filled the evening with many inspirational stories. She spoke of her provocation to leave the United States as a graduate student to cover the Vietnam War as a young reporter, meeting with Pope John Paul in Rome to discuss the Haitian refugee crisis in the 1980s, and the attempts by the Reagan administration to remove her from the US Civil Rights Commission, wherein she went to court to defend her seat successfully.  

Framing her lecture in the wake of the recent Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday, Berry reflected on her last visit to Duke almost 20 years ago for the memorial service for John Hope Franklin. Franklin, a preeminent scholar, tireless activist, and diligent citizen, was also the James B. Duke Professor of History. Berry recalled both Franklin and King throughout her remarks and emphasized that, despite explicit challenges to diversity, equity, and inclusion policies since the 1960s to the present day, ‘the goal is not anger, the goal is reconciliation’, a belief she attributed to King. 

Throughout the evening, Berry infused her stories of hardship and triumph with humor and informality. She extended grace and empathy to the next generation of activists, encouraging the audience to find their passions. 

The Alice M. Baldwin Scholars program coordinates the Jean Fox O’Barr Distinguished Speaker Series, generously funded by the Laura Ellen and Robert Muglia Family Foundation. To learn more about Duke’s Baldwin Scholars program, visit https://baldwinscholars.duke.edu/.   

photo credit: Chris Hildreth/Rooster Media Productions