Aug. 23, 2022

Contact Rick Kyte at 608-796-3704 or rlkyte@viterbo.edu or Jill Miller at 608-796-3615 or jmmiller@viterbo.edu

AUTHOR TYLER MERRITT TO PRESENT “THEMES FROM I TAKE MY COFFEE BLACK” AT VITERBO UNIVERSITY SEPT. 7

LA CROSSE, Wis. – Author, actor, comedian, viral sensation, and activist Tyler Merritt will present “Themes from I Take My Coffee Black” at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 7 in the Viterbo University Fine Arts Center Main Theatre. The event will also be streamed on Facebook Live at https://www.facebook.com/viterboethics.

I Take My Coffee Black: Reflections on Tupac, Musical Theater, Faith, and Being Black in America, is Merritt’s memoir. As a 6’2” dreadlocked Black man living in the South, Merritt is well aware of stereotypes and their potentially dangerous consequences. In response, he has devoted his creativity to bringing his ethos of “Love. Learn. Create.” to life through his words and videos as part of The Tyler Merritt Project. His viral videos, “Before You Call the Cops” and “Walking While Black” have been viewed by millions have received publicity from The New York Times, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, and Sports Illustrated.

Merritt’s emphasis on humility and connection provides direction during turbulent times, challenging audiences to see people’s differences as a unifying force for humankind and to “get to know me before you call the cops,” as he says in his video. In his talks and lectures, Merritt infuses his core beliefs of unity, empathy, compassion, and inclusion with humor, making his message relatable and accessible to wide-ranging audiences from corporations, non-profits, community groups, colleges and universities, and youth audiences worldwide.

This presentation is part of the D.B. Reinhart Institute for Ethics in Leadership fall lecture series. It is free and open to the public. No tickets are necessary, but seating is limited.

For a full schedule of D.B. Reinhart Institute for Ethics in Leadership events, visit www.viterbo.edu/ethics.

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