SANKOFA Reading Group UPDATE

March 2011 was a wildly busy month!  The Veterans of the Mississippi Civil Rights Movement hosted their 6th annual conference at Jackson State University, March 23-26, 2011.  The weekend began with a very interesting discussion on Women in the Civil Rights Movement held in Woodworth Chapel on Tougaloo College's historic campus.  Speakers focused on the experience of Mrs. Annie Devine, Mrs. Victoria Gray Adams and Mrs. Fannie Lou Hamer during the the Mississippi Civil Rights Movement.  How do we encourage and promote in young women today the energy, determinism and activism of the above-mentioned women.  The conference began in earnest on Thursday morning with plenary sessions and workshops.  Participants from across the globe came to participate in the Conference. Numerous writers on the Civil Rights movement were featured at the conference.  A huge shout out and words of commendation  go to Ms. Cynthia Palmer, conference coordinator and Mr. Owen Brooks, Executive Director of the Veterans of the Mississippi Civil Rights Movement.  Speakers this year included Kathleen Cleaver, Charles Payne, Haki Madhabuti, Louis Farrakhan, Myrlie Evers-Williams & Shirley Sherrod.  The most important questions are where do we go from here and how do we encourage, progress, interracial, intergenerational, and interfaith dialogue.  What should be our agenda moving forward? How do we improve the American public education system for ALL children? 
This only one of several events that occurred in March.  The Mississippi Conference of the United Methodist Church sponsored "The Parchman Hour", a dramatic presentation on the experiences of the Freedom Riders in Mississippi in 1961.  Young people mostly from North Carolina through the performing arts helped the audience understand and empathize with the Freedom Riders. 
Northminister Baptist Church sponsored a interfaith panel discussion on the three major monotheistic religions, Islam, Judaism & Christianity. 
The Old Capitol Museum was the site for the Richard Wright Mississippi Hall of Fame portrait unveiling. 
The Margaret Walker Center launched the Margaret Walker digital archive.
The Piney Woods School celebrated the legacy of the International Sweethearts of Rhythm in Washington, DC. 
The Rabbi Perry Nussbaum Lecture Series honored Freedom Rider, Hank Thomas among other honorees.