The University held the 38th annual Heman Sweatt Symposium on Civil Rights to celebrate this year’s recipients of the Heman Sweatt Legacy Award and recognize “game changers” in the community on Thursday.
The Division of Diversity and Community Engagement hosts the symposium, named after Heman Sweatt, the first Black student admitted into the University of Texas Law School in 1950.
The court originally denied Sweatt admission on the basis of race in 1946. Working alongside the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, he took his case to the Supreme Court, where they overturned it, and he earned admission in 1950. The landmark case set a precedent for the admission of Black students to formerly segregated universities.
“Together, we gather to pay tribute to the incredible legacy of Heman Sweatt and the precursors,” said LaToya Smith, vice president for the Division of Diversity and Community Engagement, at the symposium. “The trailblazers who, in the face of adversity, were the true game changers as the first Black students to attend UT-Austin in the 1950s and 60s.”
The symposium’s theme this year was “game changers.” Panelists included Dr. Nathaniel Hughes, Trevante Rhodes and Cynthea Rhodes-Patterson, all influential athletes who spoke on their ability to inspire positive change in the community.
The event also celebrated the five recipients of the Heman Sweatt Legacy Award, which are Lydia Contreras, Malik Crowder, Mason Porter, Sameeha Rizvi and Ariana Seeloff. Smith said these students and staff have exemplified the legacy of Heman Sweatt through their commitment to working with civil rights on campus and in the community.
“By fostering a caring, accepting and supportive community encompassing people from all backgrounds, we honor the legacies of Heman Sweatt and the precursors,” Smith said at the symposium.
Hughes is a retired NFL player and current cardiothoracic fellow at Emory University. Though he began his career in football, Hughes said he maintained his passion for medicine and now serves a mentor for those aspiring to be in the medical field but face certain obstacles.
“A lot of the time, there’s not a lot of people we can lean on, people who look like you or come from similar backgrounds that can help you along the way,” Hughes said during the panel. “The most important thing is to find (and provide) mentorship.”
Rhodes, a former UT Track and Field athlete, is now a critically acclaimed actor best known for his work in the Academy Award-winning film “Moonlight.” Rhodes said his athletic mentality, one of focus and drive, helped him get to where he is today.
“Developing that desire as an athlete helped me transition into the performing arts and sustain that drive to be the best that I could be,” Rhodes said during the panel.
Rhodes-Patterson is a USA Track & Field Championships medalist, a former triple jumper at UT, and is the current senior human resources manager at The Home Depot Technology Center. She said individuals who want to create change in their community should start small and gradually build up their goals.
“Don’t try to boil the ocean,” Rhodes-Patterson said during the panel. “(Figure out) what is within your scope that you can change. If you can affect one person, you’ve made a difference.”
