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Spell Freedom: The Underground Schools That Built the Civil Rights Movement

Time

Wednesday, March 04 2026 at 6:00pm

Location

Great Hall, Memorial Union

Speaker: Elaine Weiss

Part of the America at 250 lecture series

Award-winning journalist and critically acclaimed author Elaine Weiss shares the dramatic story of four social justice advocates whose audacious plan to restore voting rights to Black Americans laid the foundation of the Civil Rights Movement. Weiss offers a bracing new perspective on a pivotal historical moment, and an intimate portrait of American patriots willing to risk all to defend our democracy.

This event is co-sponsored by the Center for Cyclone Civics, Carrie Chapman Catt Center for Women and Politics, Department of Political Science, Department of History, School of Education, and Committee on Lectures (funded by Student Government).