Former first lady Rosalynn Carter will speak about mental health at the Phillips Center for the Performing Arts on Tuesday.
The free event will begin at 8 p.m. and doors will open at 7 p.m. It is co-sponsored by the Accent Speaker’s Bureau and the Bob Graham Center for Public Service.
Students can pick up tickets from the Phillips Center box office starting at noon today. Remaining tickets will be available to the public at noon Tuesday.
Carter will deliver a speech about her book “Within Our Reach: Ending the Mental Health Crisis,” followed by a mediated discussion with Dr. Nancy Hardt, UF College of Medicine’s director of Health Disparities and Service Learning Programs, said Accent Chairman Corey Flayman.
Flayman said he encourages students to write their questions for Carter on Accent’s Google Doc, which can be found on its Facebook event page. Hardt will ask students’ questions on their behalf.
Accent and the Graham Center will pay for the use of the Phillips Center, but Flayman said Carter volunteered to speak for free.
“That’s one of the exciting parts of the event,” the 22-year-old UF marketing senior said.
Jasmine Haddaway, an 18-year-old UF international studies and women’s studies freshman, said she is excited to hear about Carter’s work to break the stigma surrounding those in need of mental health care.
“Once we talk about these issues and get these ideas out there, in turn, that education will help people feel safe and comfortable with the issue or issues of mental health,” she said.
[A version of this story ran on page 4 on 3/30/2015 under the headline “Former first lady Carter to discuss mental health Tuesday”]
