Alfred University welcomes cartoonist Morrie Turner as guest speaker for the second annual Drawn to Diversity program at 7 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 3, in Holmes Auditorium, Harder Hall. The event is free, open to the public, and suitable for all ages.

Drawn to Diversity explores equality and diversity by examining a chosen art or media form. The focus of this year’s program is newspaper comic strips.

Turner is best known for creating the long-running comic strip “Wee Pals.” The comic was the first nationally syndicated strip to not only be written and drawn by an African-American artist but also to feature an integrated cast of characters from diverse backgrounds. It was Turner’s intention to portray a world without prejudice, a world in which people's differences -- race, religion, gender, and physical and mental ability -- are cherished, not scorned.

Only five major newspapers published the strip when it was introduced in 1965. It was not until 1968 -- and the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. -- that “Wee Pals” achieved national acceptance. Within three months of King’s death, the strip was appearing in over 100 newspapers nationwide.

Since that time, Turner has written and illustrated many books for children and has received the Anti-Defamation League’s Humanitarian Award. In 2000, he won the prestigious "Sparky Award," named after famed cartoonist Charles Schultz, creator of "Peanuts." Turner has received numerous recognitions for his comic strip, including awards from the American Red Cross and the NAACP, the Boys the Girls Club Image Award, the B'Nai Brith Humanitarian Award and California Educators Award.

Turner’s life has included stints at drawing during World War II for the military publication “Stars and Stripes,” visiting soldiers on the front line in Vietnam, and serving on national committees regarding children’s entertainment. At 83 years young, Turner still draws “Wee Pals” from his home in Sacramento, CA.

Turner was the subject of a 30-minute documentary on his life, "Keeping the Faith with Morrie." Produced by Angel Harper, Heaven Sent Productions Inc., the production won Best Direction in the 2001 Christian Film Festival and Best Documentary in the 2002 Hollywood Black Film Festival.

Today, Turner continues to work with children in small cartooning programs in the inner city. He is a guest lecturer at numerous California schools, universities and libraries, and continues to reach approximately 25 million readers with his “Wee Pals” characters. Turner’s latest book is "Wee Pals Salute African Americans in the Military Throughout History."

Prior to the Feb. 3 event, Alfred University students will be asked to submit comic strips to the student newspaper, “The Fiat Lux.” Student strips will be printed alongside some of Turner’s own strips in the Jan. 30 issue. The “Fiat Lux” also plans on running an interview with Turner in this issue.

The program will open with Alfred University students recounting some groundbreaking events in comic strip history while drawing parallels to this history of equality in America. After a short intermission, Turner will share his life stories while sketching some of his favorite characters for children in the audience. Turner also contributed the art for the event’s limited-edition poster that will be sold for $5 with proceeds aiding the program’s outreach into area schools.

For more information, contact Dan Napolitano, director of student activities and multicultural affairs, at 607.871.2175, or napolitano@alfred.edu.