DETROIT (Feb. 16, 2011) - The exhibit Marching Toward Justice: The History of the 14th Amendment will be featured at West Virginia State University Feb. 14 through April 15 to commemorate the university's 120th anniversary. The exhibit will be held in the Della Brown Taylor Gallery of WVSU's Davis Fine Arts Building.
Marching Toward Justice is part of the Damon J. Keith Law Collection of African American Legal History, a central repository for the nation's African American legal history. The exhibit was created to inform the public about the fundamental importance of the 14th Amendment and our nation's ongoing quest to realize the high ideals of the Declaration of Independence. It tells the story of our government's promotion of justice and equality for some while condoning the enslavement of others. Since the inaugural exhibition at the Thurgood Marshall Federal Judiciary Building in Washington, D.C., the exhibit has traveled to more than 30 sites, including locations in San Francisco; Chicago; Topeka, Kan.; Boston; Dallas and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
I. India Geronimo, director of the Damon J. Keith Law Collection of African American Legal History and former law clerk to the Hon. Damon J. Keith, will be present at the exhibit's opening ceremony on Feb. 18.
"We are pleased to bring the Marching Toward Justice exhibit to the WVSU community in celebration of the university's historic anniversary," Geronimo said. "We hope that WVSU students, alumni, faculty, staff and friends take the opportunity to visit the exhibit, as it helps describe our past and guide our future as we continue to work to ensure justice and equality for all."
The exhibit at WVSU also coincides with the university's Founders Day Convocation on March 17, an annual celebration marking the day legislation was signed in 1891 that created the land grant institution in Kanawha County, W.Va., for black students. The Honorable Damon J. Keith, LL.M. '56, of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, will serve as the keynote speaker at the convocation. Judge Keith earned his bachelor's degree from West Virginia State College in 1943.
Please contact Geronimo at (313) 577-6530 or igeronimo@wayne.edu for more information or to schedule the Marching Toward Justice exhibit in your community.
The Damon J. Keith Center for Civil Rights
The Hon. Damon J. Keith's life has been dedicated to fighting for justice and opportunity. The Keith Center, made possible through generous gifts from individuals, corporations and foundations, will allow that work to continue at Wayne Law. The Keith Center will help the Law School attract and retain outstanding students, support and strengthen its faculty, enhance programming, and promote civil rights in one of the most culturally rich and diverse cities in the United States. Ground was broken for the building on May 17, 2010, and it is set to open in fall 2011. The Damon J. Keith Law Collection of African American Legal History is integral to the work of the Keith Center and was created to meet the need for a central repository for African American legal history.
Wayne State University is a premier urban research university offering more than 400 academic programs through 13 schools and colleges to nearly 32,000 students.
For more information about Wayne State University Law School, visit law.wayne.edu.