Alabama State University News January 17, 2014 President’s Roundtable Will Explore Historic Knight v. Alabama Lawsuit A prestigious panel featuring some of the key people who participated in the historic Knight v. Alabama lawsuit will join Interim President William H. Harris for a roundtable discussion on Thursday, Jan. 23. The roundtable will explore events surrounding the Knight v. Alabama lawsuit and the decision that laid the foundation for Alabama State University’s transformation. The lawsuit was filed in 1981 by lead plaintiff John F. Knight Jr. and a group of faculty and students. After years of legal wrangling, Judge Harold Murphy ruled in favor of the plaintiffs and issued a consent decree in 1995 that brought an end to vestiges of segregation in the funding of higher education in Alabama. "Because this case has historic significance beyond our institution and is a landmark case in jurisprudence, we felt it imperative to take the opportunity to provide a platform for the significant contributors to be heard," Harris said. "Their stories are an important part of the history of Alabama State University, and even further, the history of the struggle for racial equality in the state of Alabama." The roundtable discussion will include plaintiffs, lawyers and other significant figures related to the historic lawsuit. The event marks the first time that the group involved in the case has assembled in nearly 20 years. Participants will include: * John F. Knight Jr. - lead plaintiff * Dr. Alma Freeman - faculty plaintiff * Soloman Seay, Fred Gray, James Blackshear, Donald Watkins and Kenneth Thomas - attorneys * Gen. Julius Becton, oversight committee member * Carlos Gonzales, court representative The President’s Roundtable on Knight v. Alabama will be held at 2 p.m. in ASU’s Ralph D. Abernathy Auditorium. 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.