"Let Freedom Ring:" Art and Democracy in the King Years 1954-1968: An Exhibit for the Lannan Symposium and Festival

By sweeping away legal segregation in the public sphere, and especially by securing the right to participate in the democratic franchise for people of color, the Civil Rights Movement fundamentally changed American life. This struggle for social justice has been well documented and justly honored. Less well-document is how the arts helped sustain the Movement and were essential to its successes. On the fortieth anniversary of the death of Dr. Martin Luther King, the Lannan Literary Symposium seeks to acknowledge this legacy while paying special attention to the contributions of poets, writers, and artists to the public discourse of the Movement, especially during the period Taylor Branch has called "the King Years," 1954-1968. Readings, performances, lectures and discussions will take place on April 15, 16, and 17 at Georgetown University, In Washington D.C. This exhibit honors the participants in this year's symposium.