Alabama State University News August 7, 2015 Conference Commemorating 1965 Voting Rights Act Concludes By Deonshay Danson >From the 50th anniversary of Bloody Sunday in March to the upcoming 60th anniversary of the Montgomery Bus Boycott in December, 2015 is a year of remembering and celebrating several milestone anniversaries of the watershed events that defined the 50s and 60s. On Thursday, August 6, the National Center for the Study of Civil Rights and African-American Culture at Alabama State University concluded its two-day conference commemorating the 50th anniversary of the 1965 Voting Rights Act. Titled "Give Us the Ballot: The Alabama Voting Rights Campaign of 1965 and the Transformation of America's Political System," the event drew students, legislators, educators and several foot soldiers of the Civil Rights Movement. Day two of the conference featured a discussion at the National Center about the cultural expressions of the voting rights campaign. Highlights of the discussion included segments on African-American art and civil rights, a re-enactment and analysis of a speech made by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and spoken word presentations. Bettie Mae Fikes kicked off the program with a stirring musical performance, as she shared the story of her activism while attending R.B. Hudson, now Selma High School, which included registering people to vote, teaching her elders how to fill out a ballot, marching and even being arrested and jailed. "To me, it was just like slavery times, when they were slipping out at night teaching each other how to read and write," Fikes said. "And here we are going out in these rural areas teaching older men and women who could not read how to fill out a ballot." Fikes remembers the feelings of frustration when many of those same people attempted to register to vote, only to be asked questions such as "How many bubbles in a bar of soap?" or "How many seeds in a watermelon?" G.W. Carver High School teacher Lawrence Jackson presented a reenactment of Dr. King's speech, "How Long, Not Long." Jackson said he was proud to help celebrate such a pivotal moment in history. "It is always important to take time to remember the sacrifices that have been made in order for us to stand where we are," Jackson said. "There is still a long road ahead, and it is up to us to ensure that we keep moving forward so those sacrifices will not be in vain." Other program participants included Dr. Alma Freeman, retired ASU dean; Dr. Richard Emanuel, professor of communications; and Dr. Jacqueline Trimble, chair of the Department of Languages and Literatures. Closing Ceremony Held at State Capitol Building Following the cultural expressions program, attendees made their way to the Alabama State Capitol building auditorium for a special closing ceremony, featuring panel members Dr. David Carter, associate professor of history, Auburn University; Dr. Joe L. Reed, president of the Alabama Democratic Conference; and Laughlin McDonald, special counsel and director emeritus of the Voting Rights Project, American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). Panelists discussed a range of topics such as President Lyndon B. Johnson's policies, life before and after voting rights, and the recent Supreme Court ruling that struck down two of the provisions of the 1965 Voting Rights Act. Reed focused on the aftermath of the Voting Rights Act, the emergence of black legislators in Alabama and how the community used its newfound enfranchisement. "One of the things after we got the ballot that was very important for us as a people was how were we going to use it," Reed said. "There's a lot of things that come with having the ballot -- one of the things is what do you get once you get people into office." Following the panel, Christina Mims and representatives from the Montgomery-based "I AM MORE THAN" youth group presented a musical selection. Later in the program, Dr. Dorothy Autrey, program chair and ASU professor of history, led the audience in the iconic civil rights song, "We Shall Overcome." After the ceremony, Dr. Howard Robinson, University archivist, said it was important to hold the program as a way not only to remember the lives that were lost in the fight for change, but also to remain steadfast in holding on to the progress that has been made. "It allows us to pay homage to those people who were a part of the voting rights campaign because people were literally killed fighting for this right," Robinson said. "The recent Shelby County Supreme Court case that rolled back certain provisions in the Act forces us to be cognizant and vigilant in maintaining the things we gained in the past and how to solidify them for the future." Robinson also highlighted ASU's pivotal role in the Civil Rights Movement, from dedicated faculty who "heightened students' awareness about injustice," to the students who used that awareness to fight for change. "You had forward-thinking professors who criticized the discrepancies between America's pronouncements of liberty, justice and equality and the practices of racism, segregation and discrimination; thusly, they fueled students to bring about change," said Robinson. "The presence of Alabama State was at the cutting edge in involvement in all the campaigns ... the Boycott, the Sit-in Movement, freedom rides and the voting rights movement were all populated by people associated with ASU." SANDRA M. PHOENIX Executive Director HBCU Library Alliance sphoenix@hbculibraries.org<mailto:sphoenix@hbculibraries.org> www.hbculibraries.org<http://www.hbculibraries.org/> 800-999-8558, ext. 4820 404-702-5854 Skype: sandra.phoenix1 1438 West Peachtree NW Suite 200 Atlanta,GA 30309 Toll Free: 1.800.999.8558 (LYRASIS) Fax: 404.892.7879 www.lyrasis.org<http://www.lyrasis.org/> Honor the ancestors, honor the children.