As a way to celebrate Black History Month, Wallace Community College Selma is hosting several events that commemorate the Emancipation Proclamation and the 1963 March on Washington.

The theme for the month, which is also the national theme for Black History Month, is “At the Crossroads of Freedom and Equality: The Emancipation Proclamation and the March on Washington.” This year marks the 150th anniversary of The Emancipation Proclamation and the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington, where Dr. Martin Luther King famously delivered his “I have a Dream” speech.

Wallace will kick off the month of celebration Thursday with a debate in the Earl Goodwin Theater at 7 p.m.

“There will be four local attorneys debating the Emancipation Proclamation and whether or not it effectively freed the slaves,” said Rita Lett, coordinator of institutional research and Black History Month committee chairperson.

Following the debate, Wallace will host a symposium, Tuesday, Feb. 5 at 6 p.m. in the Hank Sanders Technology Center Lecture hall. Students from Concordia College Selma, Selma University and Wallace will participate in the symposium, Lett said, and the main topics of discussion will be the Emancipation Proclamation and the March on Washington.

“Professors from Wallace will also give a summation on those topics,” Lett said of the symposium.

The month of events will conclude with a “State of Black Alabama” discussion Wednesday, Feb. 27 at 7 p.m. in the Earl Goodwin Theater.

During the discussion, Lett said public figures will speak about progress the African American race has made in Alabama and what the future holds.

“There’s no charge for these events and we would just like to see the public come out and be supportive,” she said.

One of the main goals of the month, Lett said, is to make people aware that black history is an integral part of American history as a whole.

“The more we begin to make people aware of that, the more we can get black history to be celebrated throughout the year, not just during the month of February,” she said.

For more information call 876-9240.