UK Sponsors Kentucky to the World’s Conversation With Distinguished Alumna Dana Canedy
LEXINGTON, Ky. (Jan. 29, 2021) — The University of Kentucky and the Republic Bank Foundation are presenting sponsors of Kentucky to the World’s Digital Speaker Series program “The War on Terror to the War on Truth: Pulitzer-Winning Journalist Dana Canedy.” To kick off Black History Month, Kentucky to the World has launched its first digital-exclusive program featuring former Courier-Journal Editor-in-Chief Rick Green in a conversation with Canedy to discover her thoughts on the nation and the world as it pertains to the uncertain times we live in.
Canedy, a UK alumna, was the first African American woman senior vice president and publisher of Simon & Schuster, one of the largest publishing houses in the world. A former New York Times Pulitzer-winning journalist, she has written extensively on a broad range of topics, including The Times' series “How Race Is Lived in America,” about race relations in the United States, which won the 2001 Pulitzer Prize for national reporting.
She is the author of “A Journal for Jordan,” which is currently being adapted into a feature film directed by Denzel Washington and starring Michael B. Jordan. “A Journal for Jordan” focuses on life with her war-hero partner and the journal he left for their infant son before being killed in combat in Iraq. Before being slated for a feature film, the New York Times bestselling book was published in 10 countries and eight languages.
Raised in Radcliff, Kentucky, Canedy graduated from UK with a bachelor’s degree in journalism, was named a Distinguished Alumna in the School of Journalism and Media in 2017, and was inducted into the UK Alumni Association's Hall of Distinguished Alumni in 2020.
“We are so proud of Dana’s accomplishments over her career and are proud to call her a College of Communication and Information alumna. She’s made such a difference in how we see the world and how we amplify diverse voices as we move forward as a society,” College of Communication and Information Dean Jennifer Greer said.
Greer was invited to record the introduction of Canedy for the event.
The speaker series is pre-recorded and will be released to the general public at 6 p.m. Monday, Feb. 1, 2021. A digital student program, which is also being recorded and will offer local high school students an opportunity to pose questions to Canedy, will launch simultaneously. The program can be found on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
About Kentucky to the World
Kentucky to the World, Inc. (KTW) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit cultural organization whose mission is to enhance the reputation of Kentucky, its people and its assets by featuring and promoting the stories of extraordinary individuals who are passionate about their Kentucky ties. KTW inspires Kentuckians of all ages to realize their own potential and boosts awareness of the state’s positive impact across the country and around the world.
For more information, call 502-897-3819, or visit www.kentuckytotheworld.org.
As the state’s flagship, land-grant institution, the University of Kentucky exists to advance the Commonwealth. We do that by preparing the next generation of leaders — placing students at the heart of everything we do — and transforming the lives of Kentuckians through education, research and creative work, service and health care. We pride ourselves on being a catalyst for breakthroughs and a force for healing, a place where ingenuity unfolds. It's all made possible by our people — visionaries, disruptors and pioneers — who make up 200 academic programs, a $476.5 million research and development enterprise and a world-class medical center, all on one campus.
In 2022, UK was ranked by Forbes as one of the “Best Employers for New Grads” and named a “Diversity Champion” by INSIGHT into Diversity, a testament to our commitment to advance Kentucky and create a community of belonging for everyone. While our mission looks different in many ways than it did in 1865, the vision of service to our Commonwealth and the world remains the same. We are the University for Kentucky.