Ceremony honors civil rights leader

For IU students and faculty, Dr. Herman C. Hudson proved that one can be blind and still have vision.\nOn Tuesday, a memorial service was held in the Ruth N. Halls Theatre in honor of his lifetime commitment to initiating programs designated to enhance diversity and maintain excellence throughout IU. Hudson passed away on Feb. 17. He was 80.\nHudson was diagnosed at age five with spiral meningitis, which legally rendered him blind. However, he did not allow this adversity to affect his vision for the Bloomington campus.\n"Herman was a man with 20/20 vision even though he was blind," said Charlie Nelms, vice president of student development and diversity. "A blind man who sees is better than a seeing man that is blind."\nBoth literally and figuratively, Hudson did not see people in terms of color.\nHudson was a man with many dreams, such as instilling cultural diversity among students and faculty and creating an Afro-American Studies Department, as well as a new black culture center. He also hoped to improve the hiring and retention of minority faculty.\n"He was a professional and persuasive man and did not take 'no' for an answer," Nelms said. \nDuring his 30-year tenure, he brought these dreams to life in addition to initiating a few more contributions. He established the African-American Dance Company and Choral Ensemble, both components of IU's African-American Art Institute. In addition, he developed the Minority Achievers Program, which worked in efforts to reward minority students that have accomplished exceptional academic achievement. \nFamily, friends, colleagues and loved ones attended the service and laughed and rejoiced through personal stories in remembrance of Hudson. Among the speakers were IU-B Chancellor Sharon Brehm, former dean of Afro-American Affairs Joseph Russell and Hudson's sister and daughter. Performances were also presented by members of the African-American Choral and Dance Ensemble to commemorate the beloved founder of both programs. \nDr. William Wiggins, professor in the Department of African-American and African Diaspora Studies, said Hudson envisioned bringing together the students, faculty and community leaders to make the world a better place. \nThe creation of his Afro-American Studies Department was the only program at the time that worked to eradicate racism.\n"He called us pioneers," professor emeritus Phyllis Klotman said. \nChancellor Emeritus Kenneth Gros Louis remarked that Hudson has left behind IU as a much better place than he had found it.