Completed Event: General versus Arizona on January 18, 2002
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General
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The University of Utah Athletics
Utes Insider – Rev. France Davis, football team chaplain and civil rights activist
6/23/2020 2:29 PM | General
Rev. France Davis was the keynote speaker at the University of Utah’s 2019 commencement ceremonies.
Rev. France Davis has worked with the Utah football team since the early 2000s, is an emeritus adjunct professor at the University of Utah, and was the pastor for Calvary Baptist Church for 46 years before retiring last December. Since moving to Salt Lake City in the early 1970s, Davis has fought numerous battles on behalf of Utah’s black community. Part of our conversation with Rev. Davis will be about his time at the U, the other portion will center on his life experiences, which have provided him with unparalleled perspective on the issues caused by social injustice and racial inequality. He also offers great insight on what people can do to be a positive influence during these challenging times.
Davis arrived at the University of Utah in 1972 after earning a degree in rhetoric and communication from Berkeley. He originally accepted a one-year teaching post in the communication department; however, after experiencing episodes of racism upon his arrival, Davis decided the community needed some help and decided to stay.
He became the passionate preacher for Calvary in 1974, building the small black congregation into a thriving multiethnic community with a lively choir and an empire of social services. But his influence has been felt far beyond the walls of his church or the U of U campus. An acclaimed activist, Davis has helped fight for fair housing laws, educational opportunities, fair employment practices and improved health care for Utah’s black community. The African American community has grown to nearly five times its size since the early 1970s, and there are now dozens of predominantly black churches.
In 2003, Urban Meyer became the head football coach at Utah and brought Davis on board as the team’s chaplain. He has remained in that role under Kyle Whittingham, and has made a difference in the lives of numerous Ute student-athletes over the years.
Davis has written four books about Utah’s black history, including an autobiography. During the Civil Rights movement, the Georgia native marched for voting rights in Alabama with Dr. King from Selma to Montgomery in 1968.
The podcast can be heard on iTunes and YouTube. All Utah Athletics podcasts will be archived HERE.
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