Gillespie shines light on unsung civil rights efforts
Article By: Clark Leonard
Dr. Dee Gillespie, a University of North Georgia (ǧÃŬAV) professor of history, has published a book titled
She said most people know the major moments of the civil rights movement, such as Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I have a dream" speech, the Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka school desegregation case and the Selma march.
"In this book, I seek to turn our attention to the lesser-known places where this movement happened," Gillespie said. "I want to put Black women front and center in the story."
One example was the Citizenship Education Program (CEP), a grassroots initiative that taught people to read and write in preparation for literacy tests required for voter registration.
"They then used that foundation to support broader reform," Gillespie said.
Drawing on teachers' reports and correspondence, oral history interviews, and papers from a variety of civil rights organizations, the book follows the growth of the CEP from its beginnings in the South Carolina Sea Islands to southeastern Georgia, the Mississippi Delta, and Alabama's Black Belt.
The University of Florida Press released Gillespie's book in August.
Students present at conference in Athens
Four ǧÃŬAV students presented their research at the Conference on the Americas, held Feb. 21-22 at the University of Georgia.
Former president inspires musical collaboration
ǧÃŬAV faculty and staff released an award-winning album featuring new music on the last year of former President Abraham Lincoln's life.
Japanese students visit ǧÃŬAV for two weeks
A group of 15 students from Nanzan University visited ǧÃŬAV for two weeks as part of an annual project.
Grant sends students to festival in Germany
Four students and a faculty member will perform in the Saarburg International Music Festival in Germany courtesy of a Halle Foundation grant awarded to the ǧÃŬAV Department of Music.