Jeremiah Wright Jr.

Charles Sherrod

Frederick D. Haynes III

Vashti Murphy McKenzie

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 EAST LANSING, Mich. — Four nationally recognized civil rights leaders will visit Michigan State University in February to participate in a lecture series honoring those who fought the civil rights battles of the 1950s and 1960s.

The four, including the first woman elected bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, are taking part in the eighth annual Visiting Faculty Lecture Series, “Slavery to Freedom: An American Odyssey.”

Sponsored by the MSU College of Osteopathic Medicine, the series will feature one speaker a week during February, which is Black History Month. The first lecture is Feb. 7. All talks are at 5 p.m. in the MSU Kellogg Center.

This year’s schedule follows.

Feb. 7 – The Rev. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr., senior pastor of the Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago. He is considered one of the nation's leading authorities on and advocates for social, spiritual and economic justice. His topic is “Sibling Rivalry and the Children of Abraham.” Wright will speak in Big Ten Room A.

Feb. 14 – The Rev. Charles Sherrod, co-founder and field secretary of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee. His civil rights work began in 1954 when, at age 17, he and a friend attended a segregated church service in Petersburg, Va. His topic: “Social Change and Student Power.” Sherrod will speak in the Kellogg Center Auditorium.

Feb. 21 – The Rev. Frederick D. Haynes III, senior pastor of the Friendship-West Baptist Church of Dallas. He is a dynamic speaker known for working with the youth in his community. He is well-known in Dallas for giving “inspirational vitamins” to the youth who participate in his Saturday-night services. His topic is “From Cacophony to Choir: Finding Resonance.” Haynes will speak in Big Ten Room A.

Feb. 28 – Bishop Vashti Murphy McKenzie, the first female bishop in the African Methodist Episcopal Church. A Baltimore native, she is recognized as a leader in religious, social, economic and civic affairs. Her topic is “Embracing Africa: The Cultural Pangea.” She will speak in Big Ten Room A.

For a list of sponsors and more information, visit the Web at www.com.msu.edu/pub-rel/SlaverytoFreedom/STF_feb2008.pdf. High-resolution photos of the speakers are available by contacting oswald@msu.edu.

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