"Sisters of Selma" Screening and Panel Discussion

January 21, 2016 (Notre Dame, IN.) —Saint Mary’s College will host a screening of the PBS documentary “Sisters of Selma: Bearing Witness for Change” followed by a panel discussion with the filmmakers. This event will take place on Tuesday, February 23 at 7 p.m. in Carroll Auditorium of Madeleva Hall. The event is free and open to the public.

“Sisters of Selma: Bearing Witness for Change” is about the role Catholic sisters played in the 1965 march for African American voting rights, which started in Selma, Alabama headed for Montgomery. Sisters from around the country answered Martin Luther King's call to join the protests in Selma. Never before in American history had avowed Catholic women made so public a political statement.

The panelists include Jayasri Majumdar Hart, producer/director of the film, and Carol Coburn, film consult and professor of religious studies and gender studies at Avila University. Deacon Mel Tardy, chair of the Black Catholic Advisory Board Diocese of Fort Wayne/South Bend will be the moderator for the panel discussion.

“We hope that this film and the conversation with the film’s makers will help students realize and appreciate the impact of religious sisters on the work of justice and also become more aware of their own call to transform their worlds with their own actions and faith.” said Regina Wilson, Director of Campus Ministry at Saint Mary’s College.

The Saint Mary’s College Office of Multicultural Services, Campus Ministry, and the Student Diversity Board will host this event.

About Saint Mary's College: Saint Mary’s College, Notre Dame, Ind., is a four-year, Catholic, residential, women’s liberal arts college offering five bachelor’s degrees and more than 30 major areas of study, such as business, nursing, art, chemistry, and social work. Saint Mary’s College also offers two graduate degrees: a Master of Science and a Doctorate. All programs that fall under these degrees are co-educational and include a Master of Science in Data Science, a Master of Science in Speech Language Pathology, and a Doctorate of Nursing Practice. Founded in 1844 by the Sisters of the Holy Cross, Saint Mary’s College seeks, according to its mission statement, to educate students, develop their talents, and prepare them to make a difference in the world. Saint Mary’s College ranks among the top 100 Best National Liberal Arts Colleges for 2016 published by U.S. News & World Report. Follow Saint Mary's College on Twitter @saintmarys and @saintmarysnews

Contact for News Media: Gwen O’Brien, director of media relations, Saint Mary’s College, gobrien@saintmarys.edu (574) 284-4579

~Press release written by Kate FitzMaurice ’17, media relations intern.

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