Selma will serve as the third stop on Civil Rights attorney Julian L. McPhillips’ Alabama book tour for his newest work, “From Vacillation to Resolve” on Aug. 10 at the Selma Dallas County Public Library.

The tour has included Auburn, Tuscaloosa and will later include Birmingham on Sept.    21, Montgomery on Sep. 26 and Mobile in October.

The Selma event is a collaborative effort of Truth Racial Healing and Transformation Selma, Black Belt Community Group (TRHT), W.K. Kellogg Foundation and the Black Belt Community Foundation (BBCF). The hour and a half long chat and meet and greet will start at noon and last until 1:30 p.m. serving as the first of TRHT’s “Visiting Speakers Series”.

According to a release from BBCF, the purpose of the series is to present informative, educational and engaging events that will bring other noteworthy individuals to Selma and Dallas County to share their life experiences and work dealing with racial inequity and justice. 

Felecia Lucky, president of Black Belt Community Foundation said she is happy to kick-off the organization’s speaker series with a visit from McPhillips.

“I am happy that TRHT Selma and BBCF can bring well-known Alabama experts and speakers to Selma under the auspices of our TRHT, Selma ‘Visiting Speakers Series,’” Lucky said. “The Aug. 10 book chat with Mr. McPhillips is the launch for what we plan to be a very positive series of future events that help to underscore the goals of our TRHT work in both Selma and Dallas County. We appreciate the W.K. Kellogg Foundation’s support in allowing us to bring engaging events like this to Selma for everyone to participate in and enjoy.” 

Guests will also have a chance to engage in discussion and a question and answer session with McPhillips as he discusses his work spanning five decades of practicing law in Alabama.

What started 50 years ago as McPhillip’s dissertation while a history student at Princeton, “From Vacillation to Resolve” explores the history of World War II (WWII) in occupied France and the French Resistance. He said he is happy and honored to be doing his third tour in Selma. 

“I am thrilled to be journeying back to Selma to share about my writing,” McPhillips said. “Selma, of course, is a symbolic beacon to so many around America and the world as a place where real change in civil rights jump-started, and it is wonderful to be able to talk about my own work dealing with civil rights related legal battles over the years in this context.”

He said there are aspects of the book that connect to important aspects of the Civil Rights era.

“I hope everyone that can join us for a lunchtime break on the Aug. 10 at the library for what I can assure you [will] be a worthwhile event,” McPhillips said. “Even my newest book that deals with WWII era occupied France and the French Resistance movement has very valuable connections to the modern civil rights era when we look at areas like civil disobedience, activism and resistance to oppressive authority. I am grateful to The Selma-Dallas County Public Library and TRHT Selma for jumping on-board and getting behind this event.” 

For more information about McPhillips and his work visit www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julian_L._McPhillips or visit http://newsouthbooks.com/.