Three former presidents join President Obama at Civil Rights Summit in Austin

soulciti overviews the speakers and topics at the LBJ Library's Civil Rights Summit, to be held next week in honor of the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

President Obama will speak Thursday, Apr. 10 at the Civil Rights Summit to be held at the LBJ Library in Austin from Apr. 8-10. The three-day summit commemorates the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The act made it unlawful to discriminate in public places, including during elections, at school and at work. Those who are harmed by discrimination on the basis of race, national origin, sexual orientation, or disability still use the act to bring lawsuits.

“As our first African American president, Barack Obama is the fulfillment of the promise of the civil rights legislation delivered by President Johnson and a bi-partisan Congress,” said Mark K. Updegrove, who directs the library named in President Johnson’s honor.

Three former presidents will also speak at the summit: Jimmy Carter on Apr. 8, Bill Clinton on Apr. 9, and George W. Bush on Apr. 10.

Free tickets for the event are no longer available, but the library will stream the summit programs live through Google and the Longhorn Network. The streaming will be accessible online via the Civil Rights Summit’s website.

On Apr. 8, the chief editor of THE DAILY BEAST will moderate two attorneys’ discussion about gay marriage as a civil right. Antonio Villaraigosa, who is the former mayor of Los Angeles, will moderate an immigration discussion between San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro and former Mississippi governor Haley Barbour. The Grammy Museum director will moderate a discussion of music as catalyst for social change, with an introduction by Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Patty Griffin. The day will conclude with a talk by Jimmy Carter, the 39th president of the U.S.

On Apr. 9, journalist Todd Purdum will moderate a discussion of the working relationship in the civil rights arena between President Johnson and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Sports Hall of Famers Jim Brown and Bill Russell will then look back at their efforts to raise civil rights awareness in football and basketball, respectively. Former NAACP Chairman Julian Bond will discuss the civil rights frontier in the 21st Century with Georgia Rep. John Lewis and former congressman and United Nations Ambassador Andrew Young. The day will conclude with a talk by Bill Clinton the 42nd president of the U.S.

The last day of the summit, Apr. 10, will begin with a keynote address by President Obama, the 44th president of the U.S. Former Atlanta mayor Shirley Franklin will moderate a discussion about creating initiatives to advocate for civil rights advancement in the 21st Century between philanthropist and NBA Hall of Famer David Robinson, former First Lady of California and journalist Maria Shriver, and Steve Stoute, who is the founder and CEO of Translation, a marketing firm that helps Fortune 500 companies make their presence felt in popular culture.

The CEO of LiveMedia, Tina Brown, will host a discussion between tennis champion Billie Jean King and Bloomin’ Brands CEO Elizabeth Smith about the contemporary women’s rights movement. U.S. Rep George Miller of California and Margaret Spellings, who is the former U.S. Secretary of Education, will discuss education as the ultimate civil right. CBS News Reporter Bob Schieffer will moderate that discussion. The summit will conclude with a talk by George W. Bush, the 43rd president of the U.S.

First Lady Michelle Obama will attend the summit with the president.

“We are truly honored to host President Obama as the keynote speaker at the LBJ Presidential Library’s Civil Rights Summit,” said Updegrove. “The world has evolved considerably in the half century that has passed since the signing of the 1964 Civil Rights Act.”

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