News

Omarosa Manigualt Stallworth, famed contestant of the hit reality television series “The Apprentice,” will speak at a panel discussion at noon on Monday, Feb. 21, as part of Northwestern University School of Law's Black History Month Program, organized by the Black Law Students Association (BLSA).

The event will take place in Rubloff 150 at the School of Law, 357 East Chicago Avenue, and is open to the public.

Stallworth and fellow panelist Theresa Wiltz, a reporter for the Washington Post, will address the negative and stereotypical images of black women on reality television. This timely topic has received media attention following Stallworth's recent comments that this season's ‘Apprentice' program continues “the manipulation of contestant images.”

“When black contestants don't fit a certain perception, they tend to be ignored,” Stallworth said. “I think this is more of an extension of what's happening overall in Hollywood. There's not a whole lot of roads for black women on television, and the roads that are presented don't always seem to be positive.”

Stallworth is currently a managing partner for Access America Enterprise Corp., a strategic planning and consulting service that combines knowledge of government operations with services to business. She was previously director of education and research for the national Visionary Leadership Project that recorded, preserved and distributed oral histories of African American elders. During the Clinton administration, she was deputy associate director of presidential personnel at the White House, working to qualify candidates for a wide range of vacancies within the administration. She also worked with the congressional Black Caucus and national African American groups on recruiting and recommending appointees for federal service. Stallworth further served as the senior scheduling and advance coordinator to Vice President Al Gore.

BLSA has organized a month-long series of panels and events to educate the law school and greater community on issues affecting African Americans and the communities in which they serve. This year's celebration focuses on the theme "Movement and Progress: Looking Back and Moving Forward."

For additional information, please contact TiShaunda Jamison at blsa@law.northwestern.edu or the Office of Student Affairs at (312) 503-0785.

• Categories: