The Marvin Foyer in Booth Library is decorated with displays of historical moments and people from the civil rights era to prepare for this semester’s traveling exhibit.

The library will be hosting several programs in, “For All the World to See: Visual Culture and the Struggle for Civil Rights” from Thursday Sept.8 to Thursday, Oct. 20.

Ellen Corrigan, an associate professor, said the civil rights traveling exhibit was originally requested four years ago for the anniversary of the movement, but the library was not able to get the exhibit until now because it was so booked.

“It works out because right now we are facing a presidential election where things like civil rights are a big deal,” Corrigan said.

The library would also be collaborating their programs with the Tarble Arts Center because of the gallery “A Dark Matter,” which ties in with the civil rights theme with a more contemporary perspective.

Corrigan said she thinks the program is important because everybody deserves the same rights and freedoms.

“(Civil rights) is still a big topic today, even 60 years after,” Corrigan said.

The theme for each exhibit and which exhibit is to be featured is chosen by the library planning committee.

The opening reception for the program will be at 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 8 in the West Reading Room of Booth Library.

The reception will have light refreshments and feature keynote speaker Janice Collins, an assistant professor in journalism at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and an Emmy, Associated Press and Best of Gannet award-winning journalist.

Collins’ research focuses on demarginalization, self-empowerment, leadership development and gender and race in the media, college classrooms and newsrooms.

The reception will also feature other speakers including Eastern President David Glassman, who will introduce Collins.

Collins will also give her presentation, “Mirror, Mirror on the Wall: Race, Relations and Reflection,” 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 8 in the west reading room of the library.

Her presentation will discuss how visual culture in the media gives a voice to the marginalized.

A few other programs for the semester will include other art exhibits, a musical perspective of the movement, a book discussion and much more.

Corrigan said the program includes several disciplines so the exhibit would be well rounded in educating attendees.

For more information on the exhibit, those interested can visit the library’s website: http://library.eiu.edu/news/event/world-see-visual-culture-struggle-civil-rights/

Abbey Whittington can be reached at 581-2812 or [email protected]