February 23, 2015
MARSHALL NEWS MESSENGER (2/4/15) - The Cultural Outreach Ministries group at East Texas Baptist University is sponsoring its annual African-American Read-In at 6 p.m. Feb. 26 at the Ornelas Student Center on the campus of ETBU.
Don Ravenell, sponsor of the ministries group, said the read-in is open to the public.
"This program is dedicated to the history, arts, literature, traditions and food of African-American culture," Ravenell said.
The event is part of the celebration of Black History Month.
"We will have poetry reading, a wedding celebration, soul food, and we will perform for the first time ever two skits, which will be the re-enactment of the sit-in of Marshall in 1967," he said.
Ravenell said that in 1967 students from Bishop and Wiley colleges held the sit-in at the old Woolworth's in downtown to protest segregation.
"They wanted to be served ... so they went and sat. They wanted to be served. They had to endure the name-calling, the spitting-in-faces, the slapping and being arrested," Ravenell said.
"A lot of young people don't really know the history and don't believe that their parents and grandparents were that strong back then. We want to share with the younger generation what happened and the importance of making a stand for righteousness," he said.
"We want to have everyone come ... the councilmen, the city officials, police officers, deputies and everyone," Ravenell said. "We just feel like it will be a great time."
For information, call Ravenell at (903)923-2101.
(Story by Marshall News Messenger reporter Rebecca Holland. Used by permission www.marshallnewsmessenger.com)