The College of Charleston will host a series of events to honor and recognize the work of community leader Bill Saunders. The College will host a documentary screening February 2, 2012, a workshop on February 4, 2012, and a bus tour on February 5, 2012. The events are free and open to the public. Reservations are required for the bus tour.
Bill Saunders, an activist from John’s Island is known for being an organizer in the 1969 hospital workers strike. In the height of the Civil Rights movement, Saunders had a local radio station called the Informant that gave voice to local activists. Today, Saunders continues his community activism on a variety of projects.
The College will host a screening of Lucy Massey Phenix’s You Got to Move, a documentary celebrating individuals and communities in the South who dared to change the world for the better. The documentary and reception will take place on February 2 at 5:30 p.m. in the Alumni Center of the Education Building (86 Wentworth St.).
The College will also hold a workshop to discuss contemporary efforts to build and promote livable, prosperous and equitable communities at the Alumni Center of the Education Building (86 Wentworth St.) on Saturday February 4 from 3 to 5 p.m.
A “Living Human Rights History” bus tour from downtown historic Charleston to John’s Island will take place on Sunday, February 5 at 1:00 p.m. Bill Saunders will narrate the tour and share historical landmarks in the area that document the struggle for equality. Seats on the bus tour are limited and are reserved on a first come, first serve basis by emailing halejn@cofc.edu.
“We are hosting these events to not only formally honor and recognize the legacy and continued work of Mr. Saunders but to also explore avenues that we can assist in the continued efforts of Mr. Saunders and others,” says Jon Hale, professor of education. “We felt it was important for the College to be involved because we feel our time, resources, and commitment would be of instrumental assistance to Mr. Saunders and his work.”
The event is hosted by the College of Charleston’s Avery Research Center, the Center for Partnerships to Improve Education, the Office of the Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs, the School of Education, Health, and Human Performance, and the School of Humanities and Social Sciences.
For more information, contact Jon Hale at halejn@cofc.edu or 843.953.6354.
