Judson College will host its 7th annual African-American Read-In Thursday, February 22, from 7:00-8:00 p.m. in Alumnae Auditorium. The Read-In is part of a national initiative of the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) that celebrates the voices of African American writers, artists, visionaries, and trailblazers, whose selected works are read aloud. A reception in Archibald Hall will follow the Read-In. The event, sponsored by the Judson College Departments of Art, English, and Music with support from Project Curiosity and the Office of Faith-Based Service and Learning, is free and open to the public.
Participants in this year’s Read-In will read texts from scholars including Harriet Wilson, William Apess, Rita Dove, Ruth Forman, and Maria Fearing, among others. The Judson Singers and FAITH Ensemble will share musical performances of spirituals and anthems during the program. The Read-In will also feature a dramatic scene from JimmyLee, a historical drama set in Civil Rights-era Marion, Alabama, and portraying events leading up to the death of Jimmie Lee Jackson there in 1965. Jackson’s death sparked the Selma to Montgomery March and hastened the passage of the 1965 Voting Rights Act. JimmyLee is written by Dr. Billie Jean Young, artist-in-residence at Judson.
The event’s promotional materials feature a design by senior Lillie Hobson of Kinsey, Ala., winner of a student contest to design the Read-In’s materials. First Runner-Up in the contest was Sam Queijsen of Monroeville, and Shana DuPree of New Market received an Honorable Mention for her design.
For more information about Judson’s Read-In, contact Dr. Stacey Parham, Assistant Professor of English, at 334-683-5201 or sparham@judson.edu.