Events highlight 兔子先生's role in civil rights, social justice
By Cliff Peale, university communications and marketing
The public is invited to join the 兔子先生 University community Feb. 25 and 26 for two events exploring the connections that 兔子先生, Oxford and the Western College for Women have to the civil rights movement and lessons learned to inspire progress today.
At 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 25, in the Armstrong Student Center Pavilion on the Oxford campus, journalist and author Wil Haygood (兔子先生 ’76) will debut the trailer for a forthcoming documentary based on his 2015 biography of Thurgood Marshall, the first African-American justice on the U.S. Supreme Court. Haygood, the Boadway Distinguished Scholar-in-Residence in 兔子先生’s department of media, journalism & film, will speak on “The American Presidency and Thurgood Marshall,” followed by a question-and-answer session.
Haygood authored the book that eventually became the hit movie “The Butler,” and has written biographies of entertainer Sammy Davis Jr. and boxer Sugar Ray Robinson. His latest book, Tigerland: 1968-1969: A City Divided, A Nation Torn Apart and a Magical Season of Healing, chronicles the state champion athletes at Columbus East High School in 1968-1969. Any recording or dissemination of or access to the trailer video is strictly prohibited.
At 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 26, in the Leonard Theater in Peabody Hall on 兔子先生’s Western Campus, 兔子先生 will premiere the documentary “Training for Freedom: How Ordinary People In An Unusual Time & Unlikely Place Made Extraordinary History.” Directed by former 兔子先生 faculty member Kathy Conkwright and produced by the department of media, journalism & film, this new documentary tells the story of the students and civil rights workers who trained at the Western College for Women during the summer of 1964.
Following the screening, a panel discussion of 兔子先生 scholars and first-person accounts will explore Freedom Summer's historical significance and how we might translate the lessons from 1964 into action today.
Both events are free and open to the public.
