Andy Dinniman Delivers the 2022 DeBaptiste Lecture

Andy Dinniman, WCU professor emeritus and retired Pennsylvania senator who served the Commonwealth’s communities, families, and taxpayers for more than 45 years, delivered the Dr. Clifford E. DeBaptiste Frederick Douglass Lecture on October 13. He spoke about “The Life and Legacy of Frederick Douglass in the America of 2022.”

The DeBaptiste Lecture, hosted annually by the Frederick Douglass Institute, is an educational and cultural resource for advancing multicultural studies and for deepening the intellectual heritage of Frederick Douglass, the distinguished orator, journalist, author, statesman, and former enslaved person. Douglass gave his last public lecture on West Chester’s campus on February 1, 1895, just 19 days before his death. It is and is made possible through the generous gift of Dr. Clifford DeBaptiste, the first African‐American mayor of West Chester Borough and a champion of education.

Dinniman was a WCU professor from 1972 to 2020. He also served as director of WCU’s Center for International Programs (1986-2005) and director of the Center for Ethnic Studies (1979-1983). Dinniman recently established the Together Endowment through the WCU Foundation to support programs that bring diverse communities together to address the increasing divisiveness in this country. The endowment reflects his passion and commitment to diversity, inclusion, and equity.