EAST LANSING, Mich. — Civil Rights Activist Joanne Bland will visit the East Lansing Hannah Community Center (ELHCC), 819 Abbot Road, on Tuesday, Feb. 11 at 6 p.m. for a program titled, “An Evening with Joanne Bland.”
This special event will be hosted by the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commission of Mid-Michigan, Michigan State University Federal Credit Union and the East Lansing Human Relations Commission. There is a suggested $10 donation at the door and tickets are available at the ELHCC. Community members must pick-up a ticket at the ELHCC prior to the program.
About Joanne Bland
During her lifetime, Bland has been a witness and participant in some of the nation’s most consequential civil rights battles. The Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) activists organized Bland and other area children and teenagers to participate in the Civil Rights Movement. In the front lines of the struggle, Bland marched on Bloody Sunday, where she witnessed brutal beatings of fellow marchers by police. She also marched on Turn Around Tuesday and in the first leg of the successful Voting Rights March from Selma to Montgomery. By the time she was 11 years old, Bland had been arrested 13 times.
A much sought-after speaker with a compelling story of civil rights activism, Bland has presented at conferences and workshops across the country. Currently, Bland is the owner and operator of Journeys for the Soul, a touring agency that specializes in civil rights tours with a major focus on Selma, Ala.