The Rev. Naomi Tutu event inspires interconnectedness, supports YC Women’s Athletics

Verde Valley News – Every event at the Jim and Linda Lee Performing Arts Center endeavors through music, song or dance to uplift and transport audience members, if only temporarily, to a joyous, care-free place.
A special engagement this spring aims to uplift and inspire the JLLPC audience, with wisdom and the spoken word, to build a more caring community.

The wisdom – the sum of a life lived in strikingly different environments and in the shadow of one of the world’s most beloved spiritual leaders – will be delivered by the renowned speaker, educator and Episcopal priest the Rev. Nontombi Naomi Tutu.

The daughter of the late South African Anglican Archbishop Desmond Tutu, the Rev. Tutu is bringing her talk, “Building Stronger Communities: An Evening with Naomi Tutu” to the JLLPAC on April 10. Her presentation will focus on the African philosophy of Ubuntu, which emphasizes the interconnectedness of people and their responsibilities to each other and the environment. If is reflected by the phrase, “I am because we are.”

“The main thing I hope people will take from this presentation is to recognize, as human beings, we need each other — that there is nothing we do for or against another that does not relate to ourselves in a very real way,” said the Rev. Tutu, who speaks internationally about Ubuntu when she is not delivering sermons in her hometown of Atlanta, or leading spiritual and educational gatherings around the world.

The Rev. Tutu said she often was on the receiving end of Ubuntu growing up in South Africa during apartheid “from a community that poured love and pride into me and other young people in the face of a system that told us we were not fully human.” She is called to share the philosophy’s teachings to help others benefit from strong, caring communities.

“I have been very fortunate to have been exposed to so many who inspired me. Chief amongst those are my grandmothers, two women with very little education who showed me how Ubuntu was a practical concept in the care they showed to people in our community and to their sense of themselves as fully made in God’s divine image no matter what apartheid tried to tell them.”

The Rev. Tutu was invited to speak at the JLLPAC by college and Yavapai College Foundation leaders.
“We are deeply committed to uniting our community in support of our students,” said Nicole Kennedy, chief development officer of the YCF. “We believe that Naomi Tutu’s wonderful story and enduring family legacy align perfectly with this mission. Through her work and global perspective, Naomi teaches us the importance of bridging diverse viewpoints and fostering collaboration for the greater good. Our goal for this event is to inspire and empower our neighbors from all generations and backgrounds, encouraging each of us to come together in meaningful support and care for one another.”

Proceeds of the Rev. Tutu’s talk will benefit YC Women’s athletics. It’s a cause that, as a four-year high school and college field hockey player and a fan of University of Kentucky women’s basketball (for which she was a tutor while a graduate student), Naomi approves. “Right now, the most athletic I get is walking through airports,” she said.

Tickets for “Building Stronger Communities: An Evening with Naomi Tutu” are available by visiting the JLLPAC website, ycpac.com, by visiting the center’s box office on the Yavapai College Prescott Campus, or by calling 928-776-2000. Limited VIP tickets, which grant the holder a chance to meet with the Rev. Tutu after her talk, also are available.

Yavapai College operates six campuses and centers throughout Yavapai County and offers more than 100 degrees and certificates, two baccalaureate degrees, student and community services, and cultural events and activities.
To learn more about YC, visit www.yc.edu