FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Jennifer Mayer Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2012 Tel: 478/742-5084

Email: jmayer@historicmacon.org

ALBANY FREEDOM SINGERS TO PERFORM AT DOUGLASS THEATRE MACON, Ga. — Freedom Songs provided courage to civil rights movement participants 50 years ago. Maconites will have the chance to experience these special songs on March 13 when Historic Macon Foundation concludes its Sidney’s Salon Series with a performance by the Albany Freedom Singers. Led by original Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) Freedom Singer Rutha Harris, the Albany Freedom Singers engage visitors through an oral history presentation filled with dynamic testimony of the Albany movement marches and arrests and narrate the stories with emotionally charged performances of Freedom Songs. The performance will take place on March 13 at 5:30 p.m. in the Douglass Theatre, 355 Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. This event is co-sponsored by the Douglass Theatre. Admission is free for Historic Macon members, $5 for nonmembers and $3 for students. Refreshments will be served. The “Civil War to Civil Rights” Salon Series began in October 2011 with a lecture on women’s roles in the war effort by Dr. Sarah E. Gardner of Mercer University. The series continued with lectures from Conie Mac Darnell, Dr. Lee W. Formwalt, Matt Jennings and Dr. Andrew Manis. “I can't imagine a better way to conclude this series,” said Historic Macon Director of Development Janis Haley. “It began with lectures on the Civil War, moved on to the civil rights movement, and now, with the Albany Freedom Singers, the series will come to a close with what is sure to be a fantastic performance by a beautiful group of women who will bring the spirit of the movement to life.” For more information, call (478) 742-5084 or visit www.historicmacon.org.

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Albany Freedom Singers to perform, page 2 Attachment 1: The Albany Freedom Singers

About the Lanier Center for Literary Arts Sidney Lanier (1842–1881) was a writer, poet, musician, soldier and mathematician. He was born in the Sidney Lanier Cottage at 935 High St. in Macon, Ga. In honor of Lanier’s legacy, Historic Macon Foundation, the owners of the Cottage, have established the Lanier Center for Literary Arts. In addition to sponsoring writers’ workshops and other literary events, Historic Macon has a regular series of lectures and readings. For this series, entitled Sidney’s Salons, Historic Macon invites well-known authors and bright, up-and-coming authors to read, answer questions and sign books. For more information, visit www.historicmacon.org or call 478/742-5084. About Historic Macon Foundation Historic Macon Foundation is a nonprofit organization that advocates for Macon’s historic and architectural heritage, facilitates preservation and revitalization efforts in the community and educates and inspires appreciation for Macon, GA. The Middle Georgia Historical Society and the Macon Heritage Foundation merged in 2003 to create Historic Macon Foundation. The Foundation maintains and promotes the Sidney Lanier Cottage, which is open for public visitation Monday–Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Historic Macon Foundation’s offices are located in the Sidney Lanier Cottage at 935 High St., Macon, GA 31201. For more information, visit www.historicmacon.org or call 478/742-5084.

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