Photo of McBride coaching by Masslive.com.

The Strathmore Speaker Series is proud to announce that Syracuse-native and former professional football player Billy McBride will return home to share his remarkable personal story and speak on race, diversity, and inclusion at the Firebarn on Sunday, April 17th, 2016 at 2 pm.

McBride is a 1974 graduate of Central Tech High School (today’s Institute of Technology) in Syracuse, N.Y., where he was named First Team All-City in football and basketball, and All-Upstate in football. Additionally, he received the Omar Spencer, Outstanding High School Athletic Award and in 1972, was named YMCA Youth of the Year.

Photo of McBride from his Central Tech days provided by Billy McBride.

A 1979 graduate of Tennessee State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in recreation, McBride was a two-sport athlete in basketball and football. He was a member of Tennessee State’s 1975 NCAA Men’s Basketball Final Four team and was drafted into the NFL by the San Francisco 49ers shortly after graduation.

Today, McBride serves as the Assistant Athletic Director-Diversity and Inclusion, Director of Club Sports and Senior Coach at one of America’s premier liberal arts institutions, Amherst College in Amherst, MA.

McBride has been a guest motivational speaker at many colleges, elementary and high schools, and consulting firms, both domestically and internationally and on behalf of the U.S. Department of State.

McBride is also an accomplished art critic and author having lectured, written, and produced a podcast on the work of George Bellows in conjunction with the Amherst College Mead Art Museum.

Photo of McBride lecturing on the work of George Bellows by Rob Mattson/Amherst College.

More information about Billy McBride can be found here.