AUC Woodruff Library extends exhibit through May 22, 2017

ATLANTA (August 8, 2016) – Using archival photographs and documents along with compelling narratives, “Start Something: Activism and the Atlanta Student Movement” provides an in-depth look into student activism within the Atlanta University Center and across the city of Atlanta. In response to continued public interest, the AUC Woodruff Library has extended the exhibit through May 22, 2017.

“Start Something” documents the history and legacy of the Atlanta Student Movement of the 1960s. During the movement, students from Atlanta University, Clark College (now Clark Atlanta University), the Interdenominational Theological Center, Morehouse College and Spelman College organized protests to end legalized segregation practices in Atlanta. The students penned and published the manifesto, “An Appeal for Human Rights,” and organized nonviolent marches, sit-ins, picket lines, and boycotts that forced Atlanta merchants and government officials to desegregate stores and public facilities. The contributions the Atlanta Student Movement made to the civil rights movement helped change not only the city of Atlanta and the state of Georgia, but also the nation. The exhibit also ties the student-led, civil rights protests of the 1960s with today’s youth-led protests, such as #AUCShutItDown, #ItsBiggerThanYou and the Black Lives Matter movement.

“The ‘Start Something’ exhibit is an ideal tool to connect Atlanta University Center history with the issues that our students are delving into today in the classroom and in their personal lives,” said Loretta Parham, CEO and director of the AUC Woodruff Library. “We have extended the exhibit to allow more students and the broader Metro Atlanta community the opportunity to discover the important but often overlooked role of Atlanta University Center student activists in the pivotal events of the American Civil Rights Movement.”

In support of the exhibit, a variety of special programs will be presented throughout the academic year. Each program is free and open to the public. Upcoming offerings include:

The Politics of the U.S. Presidential Electoral College – September 15, 5:30-7 p.m.: Panelists will discuss the history of the Electoral College, how it works, why it continues, who benefits, and why your vote counts. Participants include panelists Dr. Marilyn Davis (Associate Professor, Department of Political Science, Spelman College) and Mr. Noel Whelchel (Doctoral Student, Department of Political Science, Clark Atlanta University) and moderator Dr. William Boone (Associate Professor, Department of Political Science, Clark Atlanta University).

Lecture and Book Signing by Dr. Carol Anderson, author of “White Rage: The Unspoken Truth of Our Racial Divide” – October 18, 5:30-7 p.m.: In her book, Dr. Anderson, a professor of African American Studies at Emory University, pulls back the veil that has long covered actions made in the name of protecting democracy, fiscal responsibility, and protection against fraud; rendering visible the long lineage of white rage. Compelling and dramatic in the unimpeachable history it relates, “White Rage” adds an important new dimension to the national conversation about race in America.

“These ongoing programs are designed to further connect the exhibit with current events and today’s social issues. Because they are free and open to the public, they create a forum for dialogue among diverse audiences across our community,” added Parham.

Events will take place in the Library’s Exhibition Hall. For more information about the events, call 404.978.2003. Visit http://research.auctr.edu/AtlantaStudentMovement for details about the exhibit, which is also free and open to the public.

About the AUC Woodruff Library

The Atlanta University Center (AUC) Woodruff Library is a member of one of the nation’s oldest and largest consortiums of historically black colleges and universities, which includes Clark Atlanta University, the Interdenominational Theological Center, Morehouse College and Spelman College. As the intellectual center of this prestigious, academic community, we strive to accomplish our mission of providing the highest level of information resources and services in support of student and faculty success and the cultural preservation of the AUC. In addition to the aesthetic benefits of this state-of-the-art facility, the Library has evolved into a model repository of information resources and a front runner in the innovative delivery of those resources. The AUC Woodruff Library is the winner of the 2016 Excellence in Academic Libraries Award in the university category from the Association of Collegiate and Research Libraries. Learn more at http://www.auctr.edu.