The historic integration of Tuskegee High School will be the centerpiece of a live performance by Auburn University’s Mosaic Theatre Company on Monday, Nov. 17 at 6:30 p.m. at First Methodist Church Tuskegee (202 South Main Street).

 

Thirteen African American students attempted to integrate all-white Tuskegee High School on September 2, 1963, as a result of the civil rights court case Lee v. Macon County Board of Education. Alabama Governor George Wallace responded with an executive order closing the schools for one week and ordered state troopers to surround the school to prevent integration, prompting federal intervention to enforce the court order.

 

Told from the perspective of participants and witnesses, this Reader’s Theatre style performance features first person recollections, photographs, and music about the integration of Tuskegee High School in 1963.  This compelling story is brought to life through the rich memories and honest reflections of the people who lived it.

 

Mosaic Theatre Company is composed of Auburn University students and is directed by Dr. Tessa Carr in the Department of Theatre of AU’s College of Liberal Arts.  The event is co-sponsored by the Caroline Marshall Draughon Center for the Arts & Humanities in the College of Liberal Arts.  A reception will follow the performance. For more information, contact Dr. Mark Wilson at mwilson@auburn.edu or 334-844-6198.