Best-selling authors Dr. Sampson Davis, Dr. Rameck Hunt, and Dr, George Jenkins, fondly known as “The Three Doctors,” will speak at Alabama State University on Friday, August 12, as part of the 2011 Welcome Week activities.

The three men made a special pact when they were teenagers growing up on the tough inner-city streets of Newark, New Jersey. They vowed to stick together, go to college, graduate and become doctors.

Despite being surrounded by negative influences and a lack of positive role models, they overcame obstacles and achieved their goal. Davis and Hunt are physicians; Jenkins is a dentist.

Their fascinating story is chronicled in their three New York Times best-selling books, The Pact: Three Young Men Make a Promise and Fulfill a Dream; The Bond: Three Young Men Learn to Forgive and Reconnect with Their Fathers and We Beat the Street, a children’s book.

Stanley Giles, mentoring coordinator for ASU’s Bridge Program, said he hopes students will benefit from their story.

“I was really excited when I read their books. It’s wonderful to see three young African-American males bond together and ultimately reach the goals they set,” Giles said. “Their story is remarkable, and I hope it will inspire our students.”

Inspiring young people is one of the goals of “The Three Doctors.” They have spoken across the country, encouraging young people to set goals and work to achieve them, and to join pacts rather than gangs.

The three friends have received widespread acclaim for their achievements. Their story has been featured on national platforms such as the “Today Show” and the “Oprah Winfrey Show.” PBS also aired a documentary about them called “The Pact.”

“The Three Doctors” will speak at noon on Friday, August 12 in the Dunn-Oliver Acadome.

The event is free and open to the public.

For more information, contact ASU’s University Relations office at 334-229-6795.