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UPPER MARLBORO – Board of Education Member Rosalind Johnson took part in a special two-day event and exhibition at Morgan State University on Nov. 9 and Nov. 10. Hosted by the university’s Robert M. Bell Center for Civil Rights in Education and the MSU Division of Institutional Advancement, “Carry the Torch: Continuing Morgan’s Legacy of Civil Rights and Equal Justice” honored alumni for their activism and roles in dismantling racial segregation in Maryland.

“I was so proud and honored to take part in this event,” said Johnson, who represents District 1. “It provided a wonderful opportunity for alumni to share their experiences with today’s college students and encouraged discussion on how civil rights issues in the 1960s compare to those students face today.”

Johnson organized a small demonstration in February 1963 to protest a movie theater’s refusal to sell her a ticket. She and classmates were arrested. The protest grew from a single event with 16 participants to a three-week protest by hundreds of people, resulting in an order by the governor to end segregation in Baltimore.

“It is important that our students know the legacy of their school and in whose footsteps they are walking today,” says Morgan President David Wilson. “More than being about which school was first in civil rights, I believe it suggests the critical role that college campuses played in the struggle.” 

On Wednesday, she joined other alumni from the 1950s and 1960s for a panel discussion in the Student Center Theater. The event featured keynote remarks by Maryland Court of Appeals Chief Judge Robert M. Bell. In addition, there was a panel discussion with Morgan students on current civil rights issues, such as equal educational opportunity, employment discrimination, building multi-ethnic coalitions, racial profiling, voting rights and criminal justice.

Congressman John Lewis of Georgia delivered a keynote speech on Thursday. Events also included the unveiling of the student civil rights movement exhibit at the University Student Center. Johnson unveiled a panel that featured a photograph of her and classmates taken after they were released from jail for the 1963 protest.

For information on the panel discussion, contact the MSU Robert M. Bell Center for Civil Rights in Education at 443-885-3957. For information on the exhibit, contact the MSU Division of Institutional Advancement at 443-885-3535.

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