SIU alumnus, civil rights activist to speak June 27

Prickett, a De Soto native, will show the 1964 civil rights documentary film, “A Regular Bouquet,” and discuss his work in the civil rights movement beginning at 10 a.m. in Wham Education Building, room 219.  Admission is free and the public is welcome. The College of Education and Human Services is sponsoring Prickett’s visit.

Prickett’s career includes working as an attorney involved in civil rights litigation, as an assistant professor at the University of Arizona, a district compliance officer at Santa Rosa Junior College, and a court-appointed mediator and pro tempore judge in small claims in Sonoma County Superior Court in California.

In 1964, Prickett went to Mississippi as a part of the “Freedom Summer” to assist registering voters in Madison County, Miss., teaching in freedom schools, and working as a community organizer.  He participated in the Valley View Project in the county to assist black farmers in becoming involved in farmland policy-making, and participated in the Selma-Montgomery March in early 1965. It was while working in Madison County, Miss., that Prickett worked with Richard Beymer, actor, director and producer in making “A Regular Bouquet,” which focuses on the civil rights struggle in Madison County.

For more information, call 618/453-2415.