The National Center for the Study of Civil Rights and African-American Culture at Alabama State University will host the annual Robert and Jean Graetz Symposium on Human Rights and Reconciliation on Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at First Baptist Church, 347 North Ripley St. This year’s theme is “Freedom Riders: Building the Beloved Community.” The public is invited to attend.

• Dr. Bernard Lafayette, historic national Civil Rights Movement hero (a Freedom Rider and co-founder of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), will be the guest speaker.

Lafayette, an ordained minister, is a longtime civil rights activist, organizer and an authority on nonviolent social change.

Believe It, an initiative of the Montgomery Education Foundation, is asking citizens to speak up and share their opinions on the Montgomery Public School system.  Believe It was launched on February 21, 2011 in hopes of building a stronger relationship between the public school system and the citizens of Montgomery County.  The program engages people in small group conversations facilitated by trained members of the community.  These conversations encourage attendees to talk about their current views on schools, what they would like to see in their community, and how the city can achieve these goals and dreams. 

Believe It conversations are happening in community centers, religious institutions, and living rooms all over Montgomery.  Throughout the community engagement process, conversations will be transcribed and combined with ideas shared in other meetings.  After MEF completes the engagement process, a c

Posted by Samuel King - bio | email

MONTGOMERY, AL (WSFA) - A Coosa County Man who was arrested over the weekend in connection with an alleged sexual assault at a Montgomery YMCA branch is out of jail on bond.

Michael Lee Harris, 63, is charged with Sodomy 1st Degree, a Class A felony. YMCA President and CEO Bob McGaughey told WSFA 12 News the 15-year-old victim said the incident happened in the locker room of the Bell Road YMCA location.

"As soon as it was reported to us, it was beyond our scope of dealing with, that's why the police were involved; in fact the police were involved before we even finished the report," McGaughey said.