[411] Deloris E. Jordan Keynote Speaker At Take Back The Night

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 13, 2010
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Gina Logue, 615-898-5081

DELORIS E. JORDAN KEYNOTE SPEAKER AT TAKE BACK THE NIGHT
Michael Jordan’s Sister Tells Story of Abuse, Courage, Perseverance

(MURFREESBORO) –Businesswoman Deloris E. Jordan will deliver the keynote address for MTSU’s annual observance of “Take Back the Night” at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, April 20, in the Keathley University Center (KUC) Theatre with a reception and book signing to follow. The sister of Basketball Hall-of-Famer Michael Jordan, Ms. Jordan is the author of In My Family’s Shadow (2003), her story of how she was sexually molested from ages 8 to 16. Her new book, From Pain to Purpose, is slated for release this summer. Her Web site, www.delorisejordan.org, states, “Denied the freedom to address her personal devastation prior to Michael’s phenomenal fame and public accolades, there was no way she could address them once public scrutiny came creating problems for herself and her family as a whole.” A mother of three and grandmother of three, Ms. Jordan is a successful Pennsylvania-based realtor and inspirational speaker. She is the founder and CEO of Jordan Signature Publishing and a board member of The Association of Independent Growth, a not-for-profit organization that supports people with disabilities, and BEBASHI, an agency that helps low-income African-Americans with HIV/AIDS. Deloris Jordan also will address the “Take Back the Night” rally, which is slated for 6-9 p.m. that same evening on the KUC knoll. The purpose of the rally, as well as the candlelight vigil and march to follow, is to raise awareness about violence against women. An open microphone will be available for anyone to express views on sexual assault. “This year, we are looking for a more diverse crowd,” says Terri Johnson, director of the June Anderson Women’s Center. “Therefore, we’re reaching out to the greater community as well as the MTSU community to make a dynamic stand for safety awareness.”
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All males are invited to take part in “Walk a Mile in Her Shoes” during Take Back the Night. A feature initiated last year, “Walk a Mile” encourages men to take part in the march wearing high-heeled shoes to give them an idea of how women make themselves uncomfortable in order to present an attractive image. For more information, contact the Women’s Center at 615-898-2193 or jawc@mtsu.edu.

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ATTENTION, MEDIA: For a color jpeg photo of Deloris E. Jordan, contact Gina Logue in the MTSU Office of News and Public Affairs at 615-898-5081 or gklogue@mtsu.edu.



With three Nobel Prize winners among its alumni and former faculty, Middle Tennessee State University confers master’s degrees in 10 areas, the Specialist in Education degree, the Doctor of Arts degree and the Doctor of Philosophy degree. MTSU is ranked among the top 100 public universities in the nation in the Forbes “America’s Best Colleges” 2009 survey.