Three-time Emmy Award-winning legal journalist Sunny Hostin will deliver the keynote address at Jackson State University’s Mary E. Peoples Scholarship Luncheon on Thursday, Sept. 12, 2024, at the Jackson Convention Complex in downtown Jackson. The View co-host is also a two-time New York Times bestselling author.
The Mary E. Peoples Scholarship Luncheon is vital to the university’s mission to support high-achieving students in need. With a goal of $250,000, the proceeds will directly benefit the Mary E. Peoples Endowed Scholarship, providing key financial assistance. The luncheon is named in honor of Mary E. Peoples, wife of JSU’s sixth president, Dr. John A. Peoples Jr., who served from 1967 until 1984.
Mary E. Peoples and her husband are dedicated humanitarians who have made numerous civic contributions to their community. The scholarship luncheon, which celebrates her lasting legacy, is upheld by the First Lady of Jackson State, who traditionally serves as the event’s co-chair.
“I feel so deeply honored to walk in the footsteps of the esteemed Mrs. Mary E. Peoples, a beloved educator and community servant. This annual fundraiser is more than just an event; it is a heartfelt continuation of Mrs. Peoples’ unwavering dedication to education,” said LaToya Redd Thompson, Esq., First Lady of Jackson State. “This beautiful tradition helps ensure our JSU students have the support they need to fulfill their academic dreams. We are excited to welcome Mrs. Sunny Hostin to the capital city as our 2024 keynote speaker, and we encourage our greater JSU community to rally in support of this wonderful cause.”
Hostin’s debut novel Summer on the Bluffs, the first in her “Summer” trilogy, skyrocketed to #11 on the New York Times Bestseller List and is being adapted as the first major project for Sunny Hostin Productions alongside Octavia Spencer’s Orit Entertainment. She recently released the second book in her acclaimed ‘Summer’ series, Summer on Sag Harbor , which was an instant NY Times Best Seller. In the fall of 2020, Hostin released her memoir, I Am These Truths: A Memoir of Identity, Justice, and Living Between Worlds, with HarperOne.
Hostin has been featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes Woman, Essence, The CUT, Latina, and Ebony, among other publications. A sought-after public speaker, she has spoken at and moderated panels for the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism, Corporate Counsel Women of Color, the National Bar Association, and more.
Other Noted Accomplishments: Hostin served as a witness at the Federal Judiciary’s Congressional Hearing for the Public’s Right of Access to the Courts, and she was part of the groundbreaking ABC primetime newscast, “Soul of a Nation,” the first broadcast network news magazine aiming to put Black life in America front and center. An inescapable voice from the top echelons of news and entertainment, Sunny continues to use her platform to advocate for and give a voice to the marginalized.
For sponsorship and ticket information, please visit Mary E. Peoples Scholarship Luncheon.
