Our Moment: RFK and Our Shared Civil Rights Legacy

A Public Forum in Conjunction with L.A. Theatre Works' RFK: The Journey to Justice

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

First Churches, Northampton   7:00 pm
Free and Open to the Public.

In anticipation of the L.A. Theatre Works' Tuesday, February 23 presentation of RFK: The Journey to Justice , the Fine Arts Center is hosting a public forum during which panelists will reflect on the role that RFK played in the Civil Rights movement, and on the continuting legacy of his involvement. This public forum will create a space for our local community to consider how today's events reflect the 1960s as portrayed by the L.A. Theatre Works, whose "RFK: The Journey to Justice" presents the era as “a decade of heroes, violence, love, death, progress, and disappointment." The non-traditional panel of speakers/performers will touch on both Robert F. Kennedy's political legacy, but also the historical role of the arts in social change and the civil rights issues that we face today in another pivotal moment of American history. Confirmed speakers so far are:

 

 

• Shahid Buttar, Executive Director of the Bill of Rights Defense Committee, Civil Rights Attorney, and Hip Hop Artist

   

• Philip W. Johnston, Former Chariman of the Massachusetts Democratic Party and founder of the RFK Children's Action Corps

   

• Adrienne Williams M.Ed, Director of Welfare Services at the RFK Children's Action Corps

   

• Dr. Arlene Rodriguez, Dean of of the School of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences, STCC

   

• Moderated by Attorney Bill Newman, who practices Civil Litigation, Civil Rights, Labor and Employment, and Criminal Law, and is also director of the Western Regional Office of the American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts

Don't miss this exciting panel and discussion! It will be unlike any forum you've attended!

 

 

Presented by the UMass Fine Arts Center in collaboration with The RFK Children's Action Corps.