EMU Today

YPSILANTI — The Civil Rights movement was a catalyst for change, securing voter rights for African Americans, among others. To discuss the role youth played during the nation’s critical movements, Eastern Michigan University’s College of Arts and Sciences Civil Rights and Social Justice Center is hosting “A Discussion with Leroy Clemons on the Impact of Youth on Voting and the Civil Rights Movement” from 5-7 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 29 at Sill Hall, room 124. Clemons will share first-hand knowledge of the fight for justice and the importance of voting to the protection of civil rights. 

According to Barbara Patrick, professor of political science and director of the EMU Civil Rights and Social Justice Center, the brutal murder of three young voting rights activists during Freedom Summer was a turning point in the civil rights movements. The nation’s quest for justice went unanswered for four decades. Determined to bring the killers to justice and provide healing to a once-divided city, Clemons, community organizer and activist, will shed light on his mobilization efforts that resulted in the reopening of the investigation.

Clemons’ story is also about a mission to ensure every citizen gained access to the voting ballot – something Patrick feels strongly about. “Voting is a cornerstone of the Civil Rights Movement,” said Patrick. “Remember the contribution of young activists who gave their lives so that we might enjoy that right is important. Voting ensures their sacrifices are not forgotten.”

“The murders happened decades before today’s students were born, but the events surrounding them provide important context for social justice efforts since that time,” said Patrick. “What took place shined a bright light on the gross racial inequities in America, and provided momentum for the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.”

Clemons is a native and former alderman-at-large of Philadelphia, Miss., where the three activists were arrested for alleged speeding the night they disappeared. Clemons serves as a youth and community engagement facilitator and racial equity trainer and is the executive director of the Neshoba Youth Coalition and the former president of the Neshoba County NAACP. Clemons led the movement that resulted in the reopening of the investigation into the murders of Chaney, Goodman, and Schwerner. In 2005, a grand jury charged Edgar Ray Killen with murder; he was ultimately convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to 60 years in prison.

The event is free and LBC credit eligible. For more information, contact the political science department at 734-487-3113 or plsc_dept@emich.edu.

 About Eastern Michigan University
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