Today it’s hard to imagine a world where equality was a mysterious relationship. Today, we take it for granted that such things as “colored” (oh, how we hated writing that one) was written above water fountains and restrooms. Why if you check out the Majestic Theater, there are still a scant few remnants of how “people of color” took rickety stairs to the highest balconies to attend movies.
While Dallas was lucky to have missed the major bullets of the racial changes taking place last century, it still couldn’t avoid the reality of a changing world.
The Dallas Institute is providing an evening in which that very subject will be discussed as part of the 8th Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Symposium.
For the first time, the event will be held at the new City Performance Hall in the Dallas Arts District.
Keynote speaker will be Ambassador Andrew Young, who not only lived and experienced the painful growing pains of the Civil Rights Movement, he was “a personal friend of Dr. Martin Luther King.”
Also on stage will be Rev. Dr. Zan Holmes and TCU’s Dr. Keri Day.
According to Dr. Larry Allums, executive director of The Dallas Institute, “In looking at the Civil Rights Movement, we realized what an impact the African American Church had on the lives of those involved. To fully understand the emotion and sentiment behind the movement, one must look at the spiritual influence of that time. I am thrilled that Ambassador Andrew Young will be speaking at the Symposium. His friendship with Dr. King as well as his involvement as a Congressman, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations and his service as the executive director of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference will lend insight to this monumental time in history.”
Here is how the evening will commence:
- 7 p.m. — Welcome by Rev. Dr. Holmes followed by Ambassador Young’s address.
- 8:45 pm. — Discussion panel with Rev. Dr. Holmes and Dr. Day
Admission for this historic evening is a simple $20 with teachers and students only being required to pay $10.
For way too many, this subject seems as relevant as the Civil War. But for the greats within our society, it was a true civil war waged with pain, loss and grandeur. Our advances today are the result of that effort.
The event is being presented by ALON USA and Baylor Health Care System.
Photo provided by The Dallas Institute