Robert and Jean Graetz
The Robert and Jean Graetz Symposium on Human Rights and Reconciliation returns April 10 after a six-year hiatus. Celebrating its 14th year, the event takes place from 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. at The National Park Service's Montgomery Interruptive Center, located on the campus of Alabama State University. Emmy Award-winning CNN Correspondent Nick Valencia will deliver the keynote address.
ASU’s National Center for the Study of Civil Rights and African American Culture (The National Center) will co-host the event along with The Robert S. and Jean E. Graetz Foundation.
ASU dean, Dr. Janice Franklin, serves as the executive director of The National Center.
"This year’s theme, 'Building the Beloved Community: From Walking to Marching to Healing and Thriving,' commemorates three landmark anniversaries in civil rights history: the 70th Anniversary of the Montgomery Bus Boycott and the 60th Anniversaries of the Selma March and the Voting Rights Act," stated Dean Franklin. "The symposium will serve as a powerful platform to continue the dialogue on human rights, reconciliation, and the pursuit of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s vision of a Beloved Community."
Inaugural Graetz Foundation Awards
Robert S. and Jean E. Graetz Lifetime Service Award: Honoring legendary Civil Rights Attorney Fred D. Gray.
Claudette Colvin Activism Award: Recognizing Montgomery high school student, Jeremiah Treece, for his courageous fight to remove Confederate iconography from his city’s flag.
Beloved Community Service Awards: Presented to Valerie Smedley, Dr. Laurie Weil, Randall Williams and Suzanne La Rosa for their outstanding contributions to justice and reconciliation.
Keynote Speaker and Special Honoree
Emmy Award-winning CNN Correspondent Nick Valencia will deliver the keynote address, sharing his journey as a journalist covering human rights issues. He will also receive the Beloved Community Media Award.
The symposium will feature conversations, not just lectures, emphasizing audience engagement and action-oriented discussions. A special focus on youth empowerment ensures that the legacy of the civil rights movement continues with the next generation.
Attendees will be encouraged to take practical steps toward building the Beloved Community in their own lives and communities.
The event is free but registration is required. Visit www.graetzfoundation.org to sign up.
Donations to help sustain this vital initiative can be made through the Graetz Foundation’s website.
For more info on the event, contact Yvette Harris, staff associate for The National Center, 334-604-9067 or yharris@alasu.edu