Next month – February – is Black History Month, and while the International Civil Rights Center and Museum in Downtown Greensboro will be celebrating all month long, there’s one event closely associated with the month that is being moved until summer for the second year in a row.
The Civil Rights Museum Gala has always celebrated that historic Feb. 1, 1960 event – the start of the non-violent protest that became such an important and famous event. The gala in July will celebrate the sit-in but it celebrates the end result, which took place in summer of that year: July 25, the day the lunch counter became racially integrated.
However, Chairman of the Guilford County Board of Commissioners Skip Alston, who’s a co-founder of the museum, said this week that there is not going to be a void in February. He said the museum is very excited to be kicking off a brand new speaker series.
“We used to have our gala on Feb. 1, but we will have that on July 25,” Alston said, adding that that’s the date the lunch counter became officially integrated. “So, on Feb. 1, we are starting something new this year – we’re having a speaker series and book signing.”
The Civil Rights Center and Museum, in conjunction with NC. A&T State University, UNC Greensboro, Bennett College, and Guilford College are all coming together in February 2023 to help the museum host a number of civil rights leaders during the museum’s inaugural “Civil Rights Series,” which is meant to “highlight some of America’s most consequential stories from the people who were there.”
The discussions will take place at Harrison Auditorium at NC A&T at 1009 Bluford St. in Greensboro each Wednesday at 6 p.m.
The tickets are $50 for each event.
Here’s the schedule:
On Wednesday, Feb. 1, Al Sharpton – a civil rights activist, political activist, minister and media figure – will speak on his book, “Righteous Troublemakers: Untold Stories Of The Social Justice Movement In America.”
On Wednesday, Feb. 8 – Andrew Young, the former congressman and former mayor of Atlanta, will speak on a book that is yet to be named.
On the following Wednesday, Feb. 15, anthropologist, and educator Johnnetta Cole will host a discussion on “Racism In American Public Life: A Call To Action.”
Closing out Black History Month, on Wednesday, Feb. 28, professor, minister and civil rights activist James Lawson will discuss “Revolutionary Nonviolence.”
Tickets to all four sessions may be purchased at www.sitinmovement.org/civil-rights-series.
Al sharpton as a guest speaker you could not get me to see that little race baiting weasel if you paid me $50. Andrew young really one or Atlanta’s worst democrat mayors not quite as bad as Lou lightfoot but close. What in the he$$ can they offer Greensboro. Keep up the race baiting skip. It fits your personality Why not the honorable Ben crump. Why leave him behind
Lol, bet Al gets a big check to show up.
Probably from the money SKIP, as a county commissioner demanded from the other county commissioners of his party. Citizens of Guilford county were not afforded a chance to voice there opposition to giving our tax dollars away to a business that would benefit Skip, not the citizens of Guilford County.
It seems to me that $50/event is a bit steep to be paying especially for most students who attend A&T and would benefit from hearing these people of consequence (although it may be a blessing in disguise that they aren’t able to afford this opportunity, perhaps Mark Robinson would speak for free at an alternative site during the month.)
I like the way you think Deborah.
Mark is the opposite of those that fought for freedoms given that Mark want’s to reduce freedoms of the LGBTQ community.
It would be a worthy endeavor for Blacks to honestly characterize the life of Blacks prior to the 1960s. While hearing Black leaders and Black influencers discussing civil rights prior to the1960s, one could conclude that day to day life was miserable for Negroes, that they were denied basic needs for existence, were denied jobs, denied education. denied the right to worship, denied the opportunity for a family, denied the right to start a business. This has all been distorted and turned in to propaganda.
Jim Crow laws separated the races, but Jim Crow Laws did not deny Blacks from pursuing their own goals notwithstanding segregation. Blacks and White-Blacks will say but, but, but what about this. The point is, let us be honest about this complicated and complex issue of civil rights instead of allowing the same old purveyors of race hustling to influence the discussion, and gain affluence at the same time.
Perhaps the worst outcome of Jim Crow laws was the way the laws marginalized Blacks causing Blacks to feel unworthy and inferior as human beings regardless of the civil rights they had or did not have.
What is interesting is Jews were marginalized but Jews continued to excel. Perhaps their long history of struggles and their effort to keep Jews, Jews is part of the answer.
Be very careful talking common sense and presenting factual material Termlimits. Chris and chris and will rally their lynch mob to come after you it.
Damn right. Two chris’ and three quarters still won’t add up to a dollar.
Now you are showing your true colors as an apologist for white supremists. Maybe you should visit the Civil Rights museum and she some of the atrocities committed against minorities.
FYI, he presents no facts, just opinions. Your lack of understanding of that says a great deal about your lack of intelligence.
I will share your support of this line of thinking with Ron Surgeon and ask him to have a conversation with you during the next council meeting.
Who is Ron Surgeon and what is his connection to City Council?
He serves on the Pleasant Garden Town Council with Alan and is a minority that lived during the end of Jim Crow era. Nice guy.
One of the more ignorant statements ever made on this site.
Denying the impact of racism during the actions of many courageous men and women to overcome a society that refused to see them as equal is absured (especially here in the south). Simple Examples of basic humiliations that would eat at the sole of anyone forced to endure:
Not being allowed to stay in hotels where they performed as top talent music artists due to the color of there skin
Not being allowed to show public display of your relationship (mix race couples)
Force to watch aggressors to walk free regardless of evidence for white on black crimes.
Not being allowed to eat at the counter of a store’s diner because of the color of your skin.
Separate was NEVER equal. I am not woke. I am just not ignorant. As are you sir. Being an apologist for widespread white supremist attitudes of the 50s and 60s is disgusting and I am glad to not know you in person.
I will agree about the humiliation point, but atrocities? Do not think so. Skip Alston’s museum presents a view based on his particular experience and attitudes. It does not include other aspects of society that influenced the civil rights movement. A serious omission.
Lynchings, beatings, innocent men held in prison for decades on trumped up charges, etc… These were not one-off events. These were daily occurrences in the black communities under Jim Crow era.
Chris, I really feel sad for you. Apparently, you cannot overcome your ill feelings about the treatment experienced by people you do not know nor people you will ever know. It is so sad that you carry this baggage around with you. You would be much more at peace if you would just let these bitter resentments go.
You would be wise to educate our racist, ignorance city council who only see color.
Racist- one who only sees color not character of a human being.
Separate will never be equal. The north created Jim Crow. If th north had left the South alone we would not be having this conversation. Go back across the
Mason-Dixon and leave the South alone
Will Rev. Al receive a speaker’s fee and if so, will he use that and the money he gets from book royalties to pay on the millions owed in back taxes?
$50 to see Al Sharpton speak?
I’d rather stay home & hand drill through all of my toenails. Of all the positive speakers they could have invited, THIS is what they came up with… Sad times we’re all in.
It could be Skip could not get anyone else to show up. As far as getting paid I’d bet he will be paid but it will be in a way that the IRS will never know about
Notice how slim and fit the guy in the photo looks? A lot has changed in the last 60-70 years.
Right! Look at some photos of men lining up for their physical in order to join the Army in 1942. Hardly anyone looks to weigh over 155.