Drawing attention to what he calls "the backstage of history," Pulitzer Prize winning author and public speaker Taylor Branch delivered a probing look into America's civil rights movement. While ackowledging the powerful individuals whose vision propelled the cause, Mr. Branch suggested that intellectual doctrines are of little use in igniting passion for a cause until real human stories create the "movement" that captures public imagination.
Extrapolating from the experience of struggling with race, Mr. Branch offered the suggestion that the civil rights movement offers a model for the democratic society. The skills that come from dealing with those who are outside our comfort level, he suggested, are key to solving the problems of the future as we seek to expand the democratic ideal.
A book signing and reception followed Mr. Branch's talk. Co-sponsored by CCHR and The Center for Arts and Culture.