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Civil Rights to Civic Virtue Society
The mission of the Auburn University at Montgomery Civil Rights & Civic Virtue Society is to foster civic identity, commitment, and civic-mindedness through community-engaged learning experiences.
Our aim is to determine whether increases in virtue literacy, civil rights literacy, and community engagement leads to growth in civic virtue. This project addresses important needs within our university and local community by facilitating meaningful community-engaged learning experiences and deepening our capacity to act as partner in addressing the ongoing impacts of historic injustice within a city known as the birthplace of the Civil Rights Movement. We begin with the creation of a Civil Rights and Civic Virtue Society for students, faculty, staff, and a community advisory board. The society will develop and implement curricular and co-curricular learning opportunities that situate the study of civic virtues within an exploration of local civil rights history. It will create curriculum for an annual summer seminar, society communities of practice, and first-year seminar experiences. It will secure community service opportunities for students and faculty. It will organize events featuring scholars and civil rights exemplars. It will host an annual conference for to advance knowledge of civil rights and civic virtues and for members to share from their learning. The society will create a website exhibiting our activities and recordings of events hosted throughout the year. These efforts will enable us to address two big questions: Does participation in a community of practice increase engagement in civic activities and generate reflective insights about civic identity and commitment? and Do civil rights centered, character-focused curricula and pedagogies increase virtue literacy and civil rights literacy? This project will strengthen our university’s role as a community partner and advance knowledge about the promises of character education initiatives in higher education.
The program is possible through a grant from the John Templeton Foundation.
Upcoming Events
SPLC Civil Rights Memorial Center and Dexter Avenue King Memorial Church
Bus Leaves From Taylor Center
SPLC Civil Rights Memorial Center and Dexter Avenue King Memorial Church
Bus Leaves From Taylor Center
Upcoming Webinar Series
CRCV Webinar Series
Dr. Mark LeBar
Title: Just People
Abstract: When we think about justice, we generally think about just societies and institutions. But it wasn't always that way. ...
CRCV Webinar Series
Dr. Sarah Schnitker
Title: The Virtues of Fortitude in Goal Pursuit: How Perseverance, Patience, and Courage Might Promote Civic Goods
Abstract: In this talk, I will consider the complementary nature of several virtues of fortitude, including patience, ...
CRCV Webinar Series
Dr. Rebecca Konyndyk DeYoung
Title: The Virtue of Courage: The Fear of Death and the Power of Love
Abstract: Courage is a virtue lauded by many cultures for much of human history. We rightly celebrate bravery in the face of threats, especially threats of death. ...
CRCV Webinar Series
Dr. Heather Battaly
Title: Is Group Solidarity always a Virtue?
Abstract: What is solidarity and is the solidarity of a group always a virtue? Is there a difference between the trait of solidarity and the virtue of solidarity? ...
CRCV Webinar Series
Dr. Ryan West & Dr. Adam Pelser
Title: Respect as an Intellectual Virtue: A Habit of Mind for Uncivil Times.
Abstract: Public discourse all too often is characterized by contempt and rudeness instead of civility and respect. How might we do better? We propose ...
CRCV Webinar Series
Dr. Katie Stockdale
Title: Hope and Human Life
Abstract: There seems to be something distinctly valuable about hope in our personal and political lives. It shows up in counseling pamphlets, political ...
A Year in Review - 2022-2023
The primary aim of this grant is to create programming that can foster civic identity, commitment, and civic virtues through a deepened understanding of the Civil Rights movement and its leaders and through civic engagement with projects and partners in our local community of Montgomery, Alabama, often called the birthplace of the Civil Rights movement. In this first year of funding, our grant has enabled us to support faculty in the development of pedagogical and curricular efforts, to host speakers whose lives are examples of civic virtue in action, and to support civic engagement opportunities through field trips, excursions, and service-learning opportunities. We are excited about the ways this grant will continue to contribute to AUM’s distinctive mission, vision, and core values. The following booklets highlights some of the key achievements within this first year of grant funding.