Virtual Black History Month program to be open to the public
Illinois College will host speaker Wanda Battle for a virtual lecture, "Human Rights and You,” on Feb. 16, at 7 p.m. Central time.
Battle is the tour director at the Alabama church where Martin Luther King Jr. preached during the 1950s. She will discuss King’s work, the history of the Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church in Montgomery, the evolution of the civil rights movement and how to live up to the nonviolent activism King taught. A live Q&A discussion will follow.
Ryan Flynn ’15, director of community-engaged learning, said the talk will be open to residents of Morgan, Scott, Cass and Greene counties and IC alumni thanks to a grant through United Way of Illinois' Healing Illinois Initiative. It is part of a series of campus events honoring Black History Month throughout February.
"Building on the productive campus conversations last fall focused on voting and civic engagement, we are excited to welcome Wanda Battle ‘to campus’ via Zoom. She will discuss Martin Luther King Jr.'s civic legacy and how citizens today can utilize King's nonviolent tactics to uphold human rights,” Flynn said.
Battle has presented for diverse international audiences and is founder and CEO of Legendary Tours LLC, which offers online tours to visitors around the world.
The program is sponsored by the Illinois College Alumni Association; Prairieland United Way; IC’s Office of Community-Engaged Learning and Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion; and the Khalaf Al Habtoor Leadership Program.
To RSVP for the event, visit ic.edu/wandabattleconvo.