Actor, director, writer, and activist George Takei will talk about issues of diversity, difference, and otherness. Takei spent four years of his childhood imprisoned in a US internment camp for Japanese-Americans during World War II, starred in the groundbreaking role of Mr. Sulu in the original Star Trek series, and at age 68, jumped out of the closet in 2005. Through a vibrant social media presence, essays in The New York Times and The Washington Post, and television interviews highlighting homophobia, Takei has emerged as a leading civil rights champion. His latest project, the Broadway play Allegiance, focuses on World War II Japanese-American internment and its long-term ramifications for one family.

George Takei’s appearance is organized by Themester 2017 Diversity • Difference • Otherness and Union Board. It is co-sponsored by the College of Arts and Sciences, Union Board, the Media School, the Arts & Humanities Council, and the Office of the Vice President for Diversity, Equity and Multicultural Affairs.