{"id":492942,"date":"2021-09-22T15:15:12","date_gmt":"2021-09-22T19:15:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/newscenter\/?p=492942"},"modified":"2022-01-31T17:04:20","modified_gmt":"2022-01-31T22:04:20","slug":"actor-activist-george-takei-of-star-trek-fame-to-speak-at-rochester-492942","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/newscenter\/actor-activist-george-takei-of-star-trek-fame-to-speak-at-rochester-492942\/","title":{"rendered":"Actor, activist George Takei of Star Trek<\/em> fame to speak at Rochester"},"content":{"rendered":"

Takei is the latest guest speaker to visit campus as part of the University\u2019s Difficult Conversations series.<\/h2>\n

George Takei, who starred in the iconic 1960s TV show Star Trek<\/em> and later became an activist for LGBTQ and immigrant rights, will be the next speaker in the Difficult\u00a0Conversations\u00a0as a Catalyst for Change series<\/a>. The semi-annual event is hosted by Donald Hall, the Robert L. and Mary L. Sproull Dean of the Faculty of Arts, Sciences & Engineering at the URochester.<\/a><\/p>\n

Takei will speak at Strong Auditorium on the River Campus on Thursday, October 21, from 7 to 8:15 p.m. EDT. Registration<\/a> for \u201cA Conversation with Actor and Activist George Takei\u201d is required for those who wish to attend the event in person or virtually. A password-protected Zoom link will be emailed to virtual registrants on the day of the event.<\/p>\n

\n

A Conversation with Actor and Activist George Takei<\/h3>\n

Thursday, October 21
\n7\u20138:15 p.m. EDT
\nStrong Auditorium<\/p>\n

The former Star Trek<\/em> star will speak with Donald Hall and take questions from the audience as part of the Difficult Conversations as a Catalyst for Change series.<\/p>\n

Registration<\/a> is required<\/strong> for those who wish to attend, whether in person or virtually. Virtual registrants will receive a password-protected Zoom link the day of the event.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Indelible childhood experiences, high-profile roles<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Takei was born in 1937 in Los Angeles to Japanese-American immigrants. As a child during World War II, he and his family were imprisoned in US-operated internment camps. \u201cThat experience in the camps gave me my identity,\u201d he told the Washington Post<\/em> in 2019.<\/p>\n

At war\u2019s end, the family was left without a home or any money and lived on Skid Row, a homeless section of Los Angeles, for five years. In 2012, Takei starred in the Broadway musical Allegiance,<\/em> inspired by his family\u2019s experience in the internment camps, which he has called his \u201clegacy project.\u201d He also recounts that terrible period in his 2019 New York Times<\/em> bestselling graphic novel, They Called Us Enemy<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Takei came to national prominence in 1965, when he landed the role of Hikaru Sulu, helmsman of the starship USS Enterprise, in the NBC show Star Trek.<\/em> Although it aired for only three seasons\u2014and Takei missed half of season two while working on the John Wayne movie The Green Berets<\/em>\u2014Star Trek<\/em> developed a cult following that remains strong to this day. Takei reprised his role as Sulu in Star Trek: The Animated Series<\/em><\/a> (1973\u201374) and in the first six Star Trek<\/em> films.<\/p>\n

Since coming out as gay in 2005, Takei has become a prominent leader in the fight for LGBT rights. In recent years, he has also been a vocal advocate for the rights of immigrants.<\/p>\n

Takei has a strong following on social media, with more than nine million followers on Facebook<\/a> and 3.2 million on Twitter<\/a>. He comments frequently on political and human rights issues.<\/p>\n

The Difficult Conversations series brings to campus thought leaders who hold strong opinions about the problems Americans face in order to help broaden the perspectives of the University community. It was created in 2018, and previous speakers include Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Angela Davis, Madeleine Albright, Michael Eric Dyson, and Michael Beschloss.<\/p>\n

\n

Read more<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\n
\n

\"illustrationStar Trek’s Half-Century Voyage<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Rochester faculty and alumni have composed its theme, written episodes, and reflected deeply on why Star Trek<\/em> resonates.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

\"chainProject explores social and political nuances of migration in the Americas<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Scholars in the humanities and social sciences will study human migration as part of a “temporary research center” supported by a Mellon Sawyer Seminar grant.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

\"aIbram X. Kendi: \u2018The very heartbeat of racism is denial\u2019<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

The antiracist activist and author spoke on several current issues at the University\u2019s annual MLK Address<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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