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NC NAACP president, authors hold workshop, give lecture Feb. 22

|Rev. Barber will draw from his and Hartgrove-Wilson’s book during the CLP lecture.

Last updated February 16, 2017

By Tina Underwood

Rev. William Barber II, president of the North Carolina NAACP, and Rev. Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove, both of Durham, N.C., will speak on the Furman University campus in two events Wednesday, Feb. 22.

The first event is a community organizing workshop, which takes place at 2 p.m. in Hartness Pavilion. The second is a speaking event at 7 p.m., which opens with special music at 6:40 p.m. in McAlister Auditorium.

Both events are free and open to the public and are presented by Mere Christianity Forum at Furman and co-sponsors Furman University Gospel Ensemble (FUGE), Furman NAACP, and the Greenville Rainbow/PUSH Coalition.

The 2 p.m. event in Hartness Pavilion, “Moral Fusion Coalition Organizing,” is a workshop led by Barber and Wilson-Hartgrove in which participants will be trained in the techniques for creating partnerships across diverse communities to advance moral causes.

Rev. Barber will draw from his and Wilson-Hartgrove’s book during the CLP lecture.

The 7 p.m. speaking event in McAlister Auditorium is titled “The Third Reconstruction.” The Cultural Life Program talk draws from the same-titled book by Barber and Wilson-Hartgrove. The Furman University Gospel Ensemble will open the event at 6:40 p.m. with special music.

Said Mere Christianity Forum executive director, Rev. Rimes McElveen, “There is a new critical mass of citizens in Greenville who sense what others have known to be true for years – that until we unite across our diversity in service to human dignity and unity, we will never fully realize the strength and beauty of the Beloved Community. Among the leading voices in America calling on all citizens to unite around moral issues for the cause of human dignity are Rev. William Barber II and Rev. Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove. We are thrilled to host them on campus to spur these conversations,” added McElveen.

Those wishing to attend the events are encouraged to register on the Facebook page for Mere Christianity Forum.

For more information, contact Rev. Rimes McElveen, 864-908-7892, or rimes.mcelveen@furman.edu. Or contact the Furman News and Media Relations office at 864-294-3107.

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