Malala Yousafzai, the 24-year-old Pakistani activist and youngest-ever recipient of a Nobel Peace Prize, is coming to Long Beach to speak this month as part of the Distinguished Speakers Series at the Terrace Theater.
The three-decades-old series features some of the world’s most intriguing and esteemed leaders, thinkers, performers and achievers and offers the public a rare opportunity to hear their unique stories in an intimate setting. Past speakers have included the Dalai Lama, Madeline Albright, Steve Martin, Bill Clinton, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin, Condoleeza Rice and Vin Scully.
Of the many figures that have spoken for the series 2021-2022 season, which has included President George W. Bush and talk-show host Jay Leno, Yousafzai is perhaps the most highly anticipated of this year’s lineup.
It’s not a stretch to say that Yousafzai is likely the most famous advocate for girls’ education. Born in the Swat Valley region of Pakistan, Yousafzai was only 11 when she began to take action against the Taliban’s attempts to prevent girls from going to school. Alongside her father, Yousafzai began speaking out publicly against the organization, campaigning on live TV and around the region for girls’ right to receive an education. She also began writing a blog for the BBC about life under the Taliban in Pakistan called “Diary of a Pakistani Schoolgirl.”
Her efforts made her a target and in 2012, when she was 15, a Taliban gunman shot her in the head on her way to school. She survived the assassination attempt, and with a renewed sense of purpose, Yousafzai and her father created the Malala Fund, a charity dedicated to helping girls around the world access quality education. Yousafzai was awarded a Nobel Peace Prize in 2014 for her work, becoming the youngest ever to receive the honor at 17.
Yousafzai will speak on May 16 at the Terrace Theater. Tickets cost between $64-$102 and may be purchased online, click here.
Other speakers slated to appear this year include former United Kingdom Prime Minister David Cameron, Pulitzer prize-winning journalist Bob Woodward and best-selling author and longevity expert Dan Buettner.
Click here for more information on the Distinguished Speakers Series. The Terrace Theater is located at 300 E. Ocean Blvd.
Distinguished Speakers Series, featuring George W. and Malala, coming to Long Beach