1959 Highlander Way · New Market, TN 37820 · phone: (865) 933-3443 · fax: (865) 933-3424
e-mail: hrec@highlandercenter.org

75th Anniversary Celebration
Program; Sunday, 9/2/07

8:30 - 9:30 AM
Interfaith Service - White Tent

10:00 - 11:30 AM
Special Conversation with Highlander Directors - White Tent
Six former directors of Highlander share their thoughts on Highlander's legacy, and the critical things on their minds now in building a strong movement for social change - the issues and challenges, hopes and possibilities, and the charge they would give Highlander for moving forward at this point in its history.
Moderator: Pam McMichael, Highlander Director, with Suzanne Pharr, Knoxville, TN; Jim Sessions, Knoxville, TN; Hubert Sapp, Atlanta, GA; Helen Lewis, Morganton, GA; Mike Clark, Bozeman, MT; Frank Adams, Asheville, NC

11:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Cultural Festival - White Tent
Performers include:

Si Khan Dan Sweeton Fruit of Labor Joyce Brookshire Paula Nelson Sparky and Rhonda Rucker Diana Pei Wu Guy & Candie Carawan

Hot 8 Brass Band Elise Witt Reel World String Band Matthew Jones Paula Larke Labor Heritage/Rocking Solidarity Chorus Vukani Mawethu Chorus M.U.G.A.B.E.E.

12:00 - 2:00 PM
Strategies for Cultural Organizing and Movement Building - Green Tent
The Center for Civic Participation (CCP) and Alternate ROOTS invite you to a discussion about cultural organizing, one of eight gatherings of artists, activists, and cultural organizers taking place across the country as part of CCP's Arts & Democracy Project. Drawing on the powerful group of cultural organizers attending the Highlander anniversary, this session offers an opportunity for a candid cross-generational conversation about how to deepen and connect our work as part of a social movement. Short presentations will act as a catalyst for participatory discussion that is the heart of this session.
Moderators: Caron Atlas and Javiera Benavente, Center for Civic Participation, Arts & Democracy Project, and Anasa Troutman, Highlander Center.
Speakers: Mathew Jones, SNCC Freedom Singers, New York, NY; Amelia Kirby, Appalshop, Whitesburg, KY; Michelle Miller, Service Employees International Union (SEIU), Washington, DC; Carlton Turner, Alternate ROOTS and M.U.G.A.B.E.E, Raymond, MS; Baldemar Velasquez, Farm Labor Organizer Committee, Toledo, OH.
Thanks to Nathan Cummings Foundation for its support of the Art & Democracy Project, to Alternate Roots, and to the Highlander Center for the opportunity to conduct this conversation during the 75th.

2:00 PM
Special Tribute to the 40th Anniversary of the We Shall Overcome Fund - White Tent

12:00-5:00 PM
Social Justice Film Festival - Workshop Center, Upstairs
Films and conversations with the film makers. Films include: Courting Equality (slide show) (Karen Kahn and Pat Gozemba), An Intolerable Burden, Morristown in the Air and Sun, Public Outcry, The Telling Takes Me Home (Heather Carawan), Up the Ridge (Amelia Kirby), and You Got to Move (Lucy Phoenix).

1:00 - 4:00 PM
Be a Cultural Worker - Orange Tent
Take the opportunity to experience being an artist and cultural worker first hand! Whether you are an experienced cultural organizer, an activist who's looking for fun and engaging tools to add to your bag of tricks, or you're tired of just talking and want to make something - We are the ones we've been waiting for! Join us for one of the following sessions:

Story Circle
John O'Neal of Junebug Productions (New Orleans, LA) will lead participants through a story circle process. This is a flexible tool that can be used to do just about anything your group can imagine. Story circles are a small group forum in which participants sit in a circle and move around the circle reflecting on a theme or concept that has been chosen for the session.

Drawing on the 75th
These are times that call for us to sharpen our tools for building shared a vision - moving from a collection of individual notions to a collective vision that is clearly articulated. Wendi O'Neal, former Highlander staff and member of the We Shall Overcome Fund Committee, will facilitate a series of short visioning exercises loosely based on a mural making process developed by Artist/Educator/Activist, Juan Alicia. In this three hour workshop people will create a paper mural from design to finish in a fun but focused set of to develop a snapshot of our shared vision and hope for Highlander's next 75 years. Participation is limited to no more than 30 people. Anyone can participate, even if you think you can't draw.

Open Sessions
Design your own Cultural work and share what you do with others. Sign up to facilitate a session you don't see, but would love to make it happen.

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