The Vanderbilt Project on Unity and American Democracy and the Rogers Center for the American Presidency are scheduled to host “Collaborating for Change: Hubert Humphrey, Fisk University, and the Fight for Civil Rights” on Tuesday, Feb. 20, at 5 p.m. in Commons Center 235/237. The event is free and open to the public; registration is required to attend.
The event will feature a conversation between Dennis Dickerson, the Reverend James M. Lawson Professor and professor of history, and Samuel G. Freedman, professor at Columbia University and award-winning author and columnist. The focus of the discussion will be Freedman’s latest book, Into the Bright Sunshine: Young Hubert Humphrey and the Fight for Civil Rights, which explores the pivotal role played by Fisk University sociologist Charles Johnson in the fight against bigotry in Minneapolis.
Freedman, a former columnist for The New York Times, has written 10 acclaimed books, including the newly released exploration of Humphrey’s early life and his contributions to the Civil Rights Movement. Freedman was named the nation’s outstanding journalism educator in 1997 by the Society of Professional Journalists, and his work has been featured on National Public Radio, CNN and PBS NewsHour.
Dickerson specializes in American labor history, the U.S. Civil Rights Movement and African American religious history. His notable publications include Militant Mediator: Whitney M. Young Jr. and African American Preachers and Politics: The Careys of Chicago. Dickerson has received several grants and fellowships to support his research and writing, affirming his status as a distinguished scholar.
Freedman and Dickerson will shed light on the historical intersection of civil rights activism, academia and political influence, offering attendees a unique perspective on Humphrey’s legacy and Fisk University’s impact on the fight for civil rights.
Attendees are encouraged to arrive early to secure their seats for this insightful conversation.