The Stand For Freedom: Loki Mulholland’s Campus Visit

Virginia native Loki Mulholland, an Emmy-winning filmmaker, author, and activist, recently spoke on campus about his experiences growing up as the son of civil rights icon Joan Mulholland. He has a passion for unity of all people groups through education and has spoken all over the country on the topic of current race relations and the Civil Rights movement, employing his mother’s incredible story to inspire and incite change among communities.

At the mere age of 10, Joan Mulholland recognized the inequity between African Americans and White Americans and made a vow to herself that she would endeavor to make change wherever possible. A recipient of the 2015 National Civil Rights Museum Freedom Award and many other marks of recognition, she participated in over 50 sit-ins and protests by the time she was 23 years old. Joan was a member of the Freedom Riders and participated in the Jackson Woolworth’s Sit-in; she marched in Washington, Selma, and the Meredith March, enduring vicious reactions from those in opposition. Because she was a white woman fighting for a black cause, she was considered a “traitor” to her race. Joan was assaulted, shot at, disowned by her family, put on death row while in prison, and even targeted by the Klu Klux Klan for execution. Joan became the first white student to attend the historically black institution Tougaloo College, where she joined the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated, as one of the first white pledges. She is still devoted to progress and reformation today, heading the Joan Trumpauer Mulholland Foundation, established in 2014, which “exists to end racism through education.” The mother and son duo have worked together to produce several films and books documenting Joan’s family’s aid in creating institutional racism in America and the fight to eliminate the resulting injustice – “The Uncomfortable Truth,” winner of the 2018 Rocky Mountain Regional Emmy Award and five Best Documentary awards, recounts the history of inequality in America from an authentic, personal perspective.

Loki used his mother’s experiences and his perspective as Joan Mulholland’s son to educate students on the violent history that, for many years, was happening on the doorsteps of our communities. His educational approach to some of the key events during the Civil Rights Movement was presented as a reminder to the next generation of family and community leaders to continue holding tight to God’s command to love others through the words of Matthew 22:37-40 and Matthew 25:40.

“Doing nothing is not an option.” – Joan Mulholland

Written By:
Genesis Russell ’24
Journalism Student