Civil Rights

With his deep understanding of nonviolent protest, the Rev. James M. Lawson (1928–2024) showed us the way forward for fighting injustice and left a legacy of courage and compassion. Read More

The Jean and Alexander Heard Libraries’ Special Collections and University Archives has fully digitized the Rev. James M. Lawson Papers and made these materials available to the general public, giving students, scholars and historians a more complete picture of the distinguished activist’s life and legacy. The collection is available online through the JSTOR digital library of academic journals, books and primary sources.  Read More

The event, hosted by The Vanderbilt Project on Unity and American Democracy and the Rogers Center for the American Presidency, is scheduled to take place Tuesday, Feb. 20, at 5 p.m., and is free and open to the public; registration is required to attend. Read More

We Shall Overcome: Civil Rights and the Nashville Press, 1957-1968, a photography exhibition on loan to Vanderbilt Divinity School from the Frist Art Museum, illuminates key moments in Nashville’s struggle for racial equality, including the leadership of the Rev. James Lawson. Read More

To observe the first anniversary of the shootings that targeted Asian American women in Atlanta and the 40th anniversary of the killing of Chinese American Vincent Chin by white autoworkers, Vanderbilt’s AAPI employee affinity group will host an in-person event with author and activist Helen Zia, 12:30–2 p.m. March 24. Read More

The Vanderbilt community is invited to the dedication of a historical marker honoring the life and legacy of community activist Betty Nixon. Read More

Vanderbilt University joined Nashville community leaders to pay tribute to the life and Nashville legacy of U.S. Rep. John Lewis with the formal dedication of Rep. John Lewis Way and a public celebration at Ryman Auditorium. Read More

Vanderbilt Divinity School and the College of Arts and Science will honor one of the university's most revered alumni with the launch of the James Lawson Institute for the Research and Study of Nonviolent Movements. Read More

Vanderbilt University will join with many community partners to pay tribute to the life and Nashville legacy of Rep. John Lewis on July 16 and 17 with the formal dedication of Rep. John Lewis Way and a public celebration at Ryman Auditorium. Read More

Three recent titles from Vanderbilt University Press examine the history and celebrate the culture that distinguish Nashville as a unique Southern city. Read More

Heard Libraries staff contributed to and improved the quality of Wikipedia information on Nashville-area social justice organizations and activists when they took part in a voluntary edit-a-thon on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Read More

Vanderbilt leaders are reflecting on the life and legacy of veteran civil rights activist Kwame Lillard, who died Dec. 20 in Nashville. As recently as January 2020, Lillard shared his firsthand experiences in the civil rights movement with Vanderbilt students as part of the university’s annual Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Series. Read More

The late Civil Rights icon John Lewis is featured in two recent publications available from Vanderbilt University Press commemorating the Freedom Riders and the Civil Rights Movement. Read More

Throughout 2020, Vanderbilt University will mark the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which guarantees women’s constitutional right to vote. Vanderbilt will recognize the anniversary through a new website, educational programming, lectures, community events, historical exhibits, art displays and more. Read More

Anita Hill's talk on campus, “No Longer Silent: Underrepresented Narratives in Sexual Violence,” was the keynote address during a conference organized by Vanderbilt Student Government. Read More

Reflecting on Commencement week, Chancellor Nicholas S. Zeppos shares his thoughts in this week’s column about how each person can make a positive difference in the world. Read More

A lecture related to little-known African American sports history on Feb. 7 will lead off a series of events celebrating African American History Month at the Central Library. Read More

Community leaders, family and friends of the late Penny Campbell, a Vanderbilt graduate and LGBT activist, came together to celebrate a Nashville historical marker being placed in her honor Dec. 8. Read More

Perry Wallace, BE’70, the Vanderbilt University student-athlete who integrated Southeastern Conference varsity basketball, died Dec. 1. He was 69. Read More

On the latest episode of "The Zeppos Report," Vanderbilt writer-in-residence Andrew Maraniss tells Chancellor Nicholas S. Zeppos about his personal journey to Vanderbilt and how it led him to write Perry Wallace's biography. Read More