Julian Bond, chair of the NAACP and a national figure in the American civil rights movement for more than 40 years, told a UALR audience last week racial discrimination persists in America and as a result, the organization he heads continues to play a vital role.

Bond, founder of the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee in the 1960s, said America’s society is more diverse than ever, citing this cycle’s presidential candidates include a woman, a black, a latino, and a Morman, but old battles thought to be won – including racial equality in public schools – remain on the forefront.

He delivered this year’s Winthrop Rockefeller Distinguish Lecture before an audience of more than 500 on Feb. 21 and held a more casual question and answer session with students and faculty the next day. Bond’s appearance was made possible by additional support by the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation.