LBJ signing the Civil Rights Act
National leaders in education will gather at Northern Illinois University on Oct. 21 and 23, 2014, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act with an academic symposium and alumni panel discussion focused on the historical aspect of the Civil Rights Movement and the current status of civil rights and social justice in higher education.
“As we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act and the 60th anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education, it is important to reflect on the tumultuous road we as a country have travelled to secure greater freedoms and more comprehensive citizenship,” said Dr. La Vonne Neal, dean of NIU’s College of Education. “These events can be seen as markers that reminds us of whence we have come and where we still need to go.”
October 21: Academic Symposium
Titled “Freedom ’64: Education, Activism, and Civil Rights in America,” the academic symposium will be held on Tuesday, Oct. 21 and include a panel of academic experts who will talk about their experiences and perspectives researching and working on issues relating to civil rights and social justice. Their discussion will reflect on the historical context of the Civil Rights Act with respect to education.
A reception and networking event with heavy hors d’oeuvres will begin at 5 p.m., with the panel discussion to begin at 6 p.m. at the Barsema Alumni and Visitors Center, 231 N. Annie Glidden Road.
The panel of academic experts will include: Susan M. Glisson, executive director of the William Winter Institute for Racial Reconciliation at the University of Mississippi; Wesley Hogan, director of the Center for Documentary Studies at Duke University and winner of the Lillian Smith Book Award; and Charles M. Payne, Jr., the Frank P. Hixon Professor in the School of Social Service Administration at the University of Chicago and prolific publisher in the areas of urban education and school reform, social change, and modern African American history. Dr. Bradley Bond, dean of the NIU Graduate School, will moderate the panel.
October 23: Community Learning Series – Alumni Panel Discussion
On Thursday, the alumni panel discussion titled “Civil Rights, Social Justice, and Education” will feature three prominent educators whose careers have focused on developing and fostering diversity and inclusion in education.
The panel discussion will be held on Oct. 23 and is part of the NIU College of Education’s Community Learning Series (CLS). A reception and networking event with heavy hors d’oeuvres will begin at 5 p.m., with the panel discussion to begin at 6 p.m. at the Barsema Alumni and Visitors Center, 231 N. Annie Glidden Road.
The three panelists are Dr. Joshua Moon Johnson, assistant dean of students at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and author of “Beyond Surviving,” a recent Amazon.com No. 1 best seller; Dr. Wanda Figueroa-Peralta, president and CEO, ASPIRA, Inc. of Illinois; and Dr. Phillip Powell, special assistant to the provost for inclusion at Valparaiso University. Dr. Patrick Roberts, chair of the College of Education’s Department of Leadership, Education, Psychology and Foundations, will moderate the discussion.
According to Dean Neal, the “Civil Rights, Social Justice, and Education” panel will examine the progress made throughout the last half century and identify current issues of diversity and inclusion in higher education.
Both events are open to the public and include an opportunity to speak with presenters and network with colleagues. For more information about the academic symposium or the alumni panel discussion events, or to RSVP, visit http://cedu.niu.edu/civilrightsreflectionweek, email kbraser@niu.edu or call (815) 753-8370.
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