Marion Sanford didn’t think of herself as different until she started grad school at Iowa State University. “I found myself for the first time in 22 years being the only African-American student in class,” said Sanford, who grew up in Greenville, Miss. “I always knew I was African-American. I never felt like a minority.” Since then, she’s been committed to bringing diversity to colleges, one campus at a time. As director of UMW’s James Farmer Multicultural Center and Multicultural Student Affairs, Sanford juggles a parade of responsibilities. Whether she and her staff are planning for the thousands of guests who come to the Multicultural Fair each spring or putting together a peer-mentoring program, one name is never far from her mind. “We’re here to further the work of Dr. Farmer as it relates to equality,” Sanford said of the late civil rights leader and beloved Mary Washington professor of history and American studies. After earning a doctorate from Iowa State, Sanford … [Read more...]