From the U.S. Civil Rights Movement to the East German Struggle for Freedom

Jennifer Scott, Dr. Anja Werner, Prof. Kendahl Radcliffe (from left to right)

February 13, 2012. Consulate General Leipzig teamed up with the Leipzig Museum in der “Runden Ecke” for a conference headlined “Civil Rights Movements in Museums and Schools as a Way to Further International Understanding” in honor of Black History Month. Some 35 teachers, professors, university students as well as representatives from the Martin-Luther-King-Center for Nonviolence and Civil Courage Werdau e.V. attended the bilingual guided tour by museum director Tobias Hollitzer and the subsequent panel discussion including the following presentations:

• Prof. Kendahl Radcliffe from California State University in Fullerton spoke about “Civil Rights, Black Power and the Emergence of Black Studies in the Academy”.
  Summary in English l Zusammenfassung in Deutsch
• Jennifer A. Scott, vice director of Weeksville Heritage Center (Brooklyn, New York), lectured about “Movement Creates Museum: The U.S. Civil Rights Movement and the Creation of Weeksville Heritage Center in New York”.
  Summary in English l Zusammenfassung in Deutsch
• Dr. Anja Werner, a German American Studies specialist, outlined “The U.S. Civil Rights Movements and Its Impact on the East German Struggle for Freedom”.
  Summary in English l Zusammenfassung in Deutsch

The presentations were followed by a lively question and answer session about African American history and the Civil Rights Movement. Hand-out materials included the text of President Obama’s proclamation on African-American History Month 2012, the State Department publication Free at Last: The U.S. Civil Rights Movement and the background article Black History Month Honors Legacy of Struggle and Triumph.

Please click here for the original invitation in English and German.