May 4, 2004 Library of Congress to Offer Programs in Conjunction with Brown V. Board Exhibition

The Library of Congress will sponsor lectures, concerts and a film series in connection with an upcoming exhibition commemorating the 50th anniversary of the historic Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court decision regarding school desegregation. "'With an Even Hand:' Brown v. Board at Fifty" will be on view through Nov. 13, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Saturday, in the South Gallery of the Thomas Jefferson Building's Great Hall, 10 First St. S.E., Washington, D.C.

"As the repository of the most comprehensive civil rights collection in the country, the Library of Congress is pleased to commemorate this historic milestone in the movement with an exhibition and a series of special programs," said Librarian of Congress James H. Billington.

The following programs are free and open to the public; no tickets are required:

May 13
Author and journalist Juan Williams will discuss his new book, "My Soul Looks Back in Wonder: Voices of the Civil Rights Experience," at noon in the Whittall Pavilion, ground floor, Thomas Jefferson Building.

May 17
Panel discussion titled "Reporting History: The Legacy of Brown" features journalists George Collins, Dorothy Gilliam and Bill Taylor, who discuss their various experiences reporting on school integration. Mary Dudziak will describe the role of the foreign press in U.S. domestic policy towards the civil rights movement. The program, which is sponsored jointly by the Library and the Newseum, will be moderated by Frank Bond of the Freedom Forum and takes place at noon in the Coolidge Auditorium, ground floor, Thomas Jefferson Building.

May 21
Georgetown Law professor Sheryll Cashin will discuss her book "The Failures of Integration: How Race and Class are Undermining the American Dream" at noon in the Whittall Pavilion, Ground Floor, Thomas Jefferson Building.

May 25
The LC Chorale hosts choirs from local schools in "Sing Freedom," a celebration of music in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Supreme Court decision. The event takes place from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Coolidge Auditorium, ground floor, Thomas Jefferson Building.

June 3
"Children of Struggle," a musical program by local playwright Raquis Petree, features the inspiring stories of Ruby Bridges and other young heroes of the civil rights movement. The performance is scheduled at 10 a.m. in the Coolidge Auditorium, ground floor, Thomas Jefferson Building, and is sponsored by the Library of Congress in cooperation with the Smithsonian Associates Discovery Theater.

June 28
The Library of Congress Professional Association will sponsor a discussion on the impact of the Brown decision on the lives of individuals. A panel of Library staff members will describe their diverse educational experiences in the wake of the desegregation decision. The event will take place at noon in the Mumford Room, sixth floor, James Madison Building.

A film series, featuring classics such as "To Kill a Mockingbird" and eyewitness news reports from the civil rights era, will be held in the Library's Pickford Theater from August through November, dates and times to be announced. Funding for "With an Even Hand" and its programming has been made possible by AARP; Anthony and Beatrice Welters; and AmeriChoice, a UnitedHealth Group Company.