In celebration of Black History Month, Albany State University (ASU) will host a special three-day event to encourage community engagement and honor those dedicated to civil and human rights.

The Civil Rights and Human Rights Symposium, presented by the College of Arts & Humanities, will be held Saturday, Feb. 7, Monday, Feb. 9, and Tuesday, Feb. 10. The conference will feature lectures and panel discussions related to the theme “Civil Rights and Human Rights: To This We Have Come….From Here, Where?” Regional and national activists, writers and performers headline the discussions.

“This will be a historic event for Albany, Ga. The community will have the opportunity to interact with an impressive lineup of presenters who are associated with human rights and civil rights,” said Dr. James L. Hill, symposium coordinator, professor of English, and chairman of the ASU Department of English, Modern Languages and Mass Communication.

Two familiar Southwest Georgia names -- Shirley Sherrod, former Georgia state director of rural development for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and her husband, the Rev. Charles Sherrod, the first Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) secretary and former SNCC director of southwest Georgia -- will kick off the event at the Albany Civil Rights Institute with separate presentations, beginning at 10 a.m., on the making of the Albany Movement. Rutha Harris and the Albany Freedom Singers are set to conclude the day with a 4 p.m.concert at the Albany Civil Rights Institute located at 326 West Whitney Avenue.

Discussions and exhibits continue Monday with a look at the black journey from segregation to desegregation. Dr. William G. Anderson, first president of the Albany Movement, will begin the morning at 9 a.m. with a presentation titled, “The Albany Movement in Retrospect”. The RESONANCE readers theater group from Spelman College will celebrate Bernice Johnson Reagon, organizer of the “Sweet Honey In The Rock” a cappella ensemble, with a 1:15 p.m. musical production of “A Praise Poem for _____” written by Gloria Wade-Gayles. Anthony Grooms, author of “Bombingham”, will also lead a discussion on the fictional reflections of civil rights at 2:15 p.m.

Symposium attendees are set to explore the civil rights struggle on Tuesday, with a 9:15 a.m. presentation by author Charles Cobb titled “SNCC, Freedom Struggle and Lessons for Today” and a vital discussion on the historical perspective of African-American resistance by archeologist and author, Dr. Cheryl LaRoche at 11:15 a.m.

“What’s happening currently in the nation is relevant to civil rights,” Hill said. Certainly the “Selma” movie release and upcoming Selma march reenactment, as well as, national issues with police brutality, plug right in to the symposium.”

Tuesday’s festivities will end with a special evening presentation by the internationally acclaimed performance ensemble, “Sweet Honey In The Rock “at the Albany Civic Center. Tickets for the performance  range from $10 to $20 and can be purchased at www.Ticketmaster.com.

A musical soirée will be held Friday, Feb. 6 in the Student Center Ballroom located on ASU’s campus. “An Evening in Black: Songs Discovered and Rediscovered in the Black Experience”, will feature renowned Lyric Baritone, Rev. Dr. Herbert Corbin. Guests will take a musical journey from slavery to present day through musical selections by the master performer. The reception is by invitation only.

All other symposium events are free and open to the public.