Acclaimed civil rights/voting rights activist to speak Feb. 11

Civil rights activist Joanne Bland is the featured speaker at a public event hosted the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commission of Mid-Michigan, 6-7 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 11, at the East Lansing Hannah Community Center, 819 Abbot Road.

“Joanne’s story of her family’s involvement in the civil rights movement is incredibly fascinating and moving,” said Elaine Hardy, MLK Commission chair. “We’re excited to share it with others in Mid-Michigan.”

Bland will recount her experiences at the forefront of the some of the nation’s most consequential civil rights battles. She was/is:

• One of the children organized by The Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) to participate in the civil rights movement.
• One of the youngest persons involved in the three 1965 Selma marches that advocated for voting rights: Bloody Sunday (where she witnessed brutal beatings of 600 fellow marchers by law enforcement), Turn Around Tuesday, and the first leg of the successful Voting Rights March from Selma to Montgomery.
• Arrested 13 times by age 11.
• One of seven black students who integrated A.G. Parish High School in Selma.
• Cofounder of the National Voting Rights Museum in Selma, Alabama.
• Founder of Journeys for the Soul, a touring agency specializing in civil rights tours guided by heroes and “sheroes” who participated in the fight for voting rights.

Tickets are free with a suggested $10 donation at the door. Tickets must be picked up at the Hannah Center in advance of the program.

Event co-sponsors are MSU Federal Credit Union and East Lansing Human Relations Commission.

Bland is also the featured speaker at the Lansing Regional Chamber of Commerce Economic Club luncheon the same day. The events are a continuation of the commission’s recognition of the 55th anniversary of the Selma marches and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Founded in 1980, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commission of Mid-Michigan works to support equality, diversity and social justice. It focuses on the area’s pressing issues of literacy, youth violence, hunger, mentoring, education and community enrichment. The nonprofit organization hosts speakers and concerts, supports community service agencies, and promotes youth initiatives, such as essay and art contests, college scholarships and an annual Y-Achievers tour for high school students.