The Honorable Verda M. Colvin, Georgia Superior Court Justice and UGA School of Law alumnus, delivered the 2023 Holmes Hunter Lecture. (Photo by Chamberlain Smith/UGA)
Make yourself comfortable and uncomfortable.
The Honorable Verda M. Colvin, Justice of the Georgia Superior Court and alumnus of the UGA School of Law, shared the value of this statement during the 2023 Holmes Hunter Lecture held at the chapel on February 28.
“We all need to make a conscious choice to be comfortable, uncomfortable, and connect with one another regardless of racial or cultural differences,” she said.
The Honorable Verda M. Colvin (far left) and UGA President Jere W. Morehead (right) stand with Hamilton Holmes’ family including, from left, his widow Marilyn Holmes and their children Hamilton Holmes Jr. and Alison Holmes Johnson. (Photo by Chamberlain Smith/UGA)
Named for Hamilton Holmes Sr. and Charlayne Hunter-Gault, the first African American students to attend the University of Georgia, the lecture is sponsored by the Office of the President and focuses on race relations, civil rights and education. It has been held annually since 1985 and is known as the Signature Lecture.
“This annual lecture is an important opportunity for our university community to honor two of the University of Georgia’s most celebrated figures,” said UGA President Jere W. Morehead. “Since Charlayne and Hamilton first stepped foot on the arch, this institution has changed a lot for the better.”
Named for these two pioneers, the Holmes-Hunter Academic Building is currently undergoing a historic $30 million renovation that will transform the building into a hub for student activities. The project is scheduled to be completed next year and open in autumn 2024.
Colvin said that Holmes and Hunter-Gault “have our deepest and collective respect for their sacrifice 62 years ago.” They pushed to settle down even as they faced challenges with the university’s desegregation.
“Their actions – their willingness to be comfortable and uncomfortable – led to us evolving as Georgians, steadily moving beyond our previous borders to a committed community that recognizes true democracy, embraces all people and values and recognizes each individual’s contributions.” She said.
Colvin spoke about how this idea is found in some of the country’s most important documents and doctrines, from the Declaration of Independence to the Pledge of Allegiance. They ask something of Americans – to know, understand and respect all people.
Despite the racial and cultural differences that divide people, Colvin suggests looking for common ground.
“We are all human. We are all Americans. We all choose to take care of our family and friends. We all want the best for our loved ones. We all want appreciation,” she said.
For Colvin, choosing to see one another as allies and comrades rather than enemies and adversaries makes journeys like Holmes’ and Hunter-Gault’s meaningful. She added that educational institutions like UGA are vital because they introduce students to people and things outside their front door.
Colvin added that the greatest lessons could be learned by young children. In playgrounds, they only care about running, playing and laughing with other children – not about their race or cultural background.
“Children show us in such profound ways how we should interact as adults,” she said.
When people individually and collectively choose to feel more comfortable and uncomfortable, the dividing lines that separate them can be ruptured, Colvin said.
“All of us – every single one of us – are the guardians of democracy,” she said.
Richard Dunn and Xernona Thomas were also honored as recipients of the 2023 Footsteps Award during the presentation. This annual award recognizes UGA graduates who follow in the footsteps of Hunter-Gault, Holmes and Mary Frances Early, UGA’s first African-American students.
