Civil rights veterans from the Little Rock Nine and the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee join scholar Peniel Joseph at conference
Renowned civil rights figures, including Minnijean Brown-Trickey, a member of the historic Little Rock Nine who bravely desegregated Little Rock Central High School in 1957; Dr. Cleveland Sellers, a prominent leader in the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) and the only person convicted and jailed for his involvement in the events during the Orangeburg Massacre in 1968; and Dr. Peniel Joseph, a leading scholar on race and democracy, will headline a groundbreaking conference at the University of South Carolina this October, commemorating several significant anniversaries for the movement, including the 70th anniversary of the Supreme Court’s landmark ruling in Brown v. Board of Education/Briggs v. Elliott, the 60th anniversary of the Freedom Summer and the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Hosted by the University’s Center for Civil Rights History and Research in partnership with the National Park Service, the conference will focus on preserving the legacy of the Civil Rights Movement
and exploring its impact on ongoing struggles for justice and democracy in our nation.
The inaugural conference titled “Where Do We Go From Here?: Interpreting and Preserving the African American Civil Rights Movement” is scheduled for October 17-19. This conference will emphasize the importance of teaching the lessons of the Civil Rights Movement, exploring how these historical insights can guide future generations. It will highlight the legacy of the movement and underscore the critical need to preserve its history for young people who may face similar struggles for justice in the years ahead.
“This conference represents a pivotal moment for us to reflect on the achievements and strategies of the Civil Rights Movement while listening carefully to veterans of the movement and public historians who are actively keeping the past alive through museums and historic sites,” said Dr. Bobby Donaldson, Executive Director of the Center for Civil Rights History and Research at the University of South Carolina.
Keynote speaker Dr. Peniel Joseph, a noted historian and founding director of the Center for the Study of Race and Democracy, will address how the movement’s lessons are as relevant now as they were decades ago.
“As a scholar and researcher of the civil rights era, I have marveled at the generational opportunity ahead of us… to help end inequality and discrimination, heal ancient wounds that threaten the health and future of our democracy, and achieve bold, innovative and impactful research initiatives that match the scope and scale of the challenges we face as a nation,” said Dr. Joseph.
“This moment in history is more than a reflection—it’s a call to action,” said National Park Service Director Chuck Sams. “As we head into a year with high stakes for democracy, the conference will help us understand how far we’ve come and the work still ahead.”
For more information including full schedule and how to register, visit civilrights.sc.edu/conference
