Jolivette Anderson, an African-American activist, poet, performance artist, teacher and youth leader will visit Cornell University and present "Inspired by the Movement," dramatic works and a lecture that celebrate the history and legacy of the civil rights movement. Anderson's dramatic performances and talks are among several events taking place during her two-day visit to Ithaca and Cornell on Friday, May 5, and Saturday, May 6.

On May 5, Anderson will lead an after-school drama workshop at the Greater Ithaca Activities Center (GIAC). Approximately 60 youth involved in GIAC's after-school programs are expected to participate.

On May 6, Anderson will give two performances in 157 East Sibley Hall: "Inspired by the Movement" will be presented from 2:15 to 3 p.m. and an interactive discussion will follow. At 3:20 p.m., Anderson will present a lecture about her work, titled "Inspired by the Movement: The Art of Community Building." All events are free and open to the public.

Anderson is a producer of the Mississippi Cipher Poetry Radio Show on WMPR, the Mississippi Cipher, Live! Artist Showcase, and Sister Talk of Jackson, Miss. She is a facilitator of the nationally recognized Young People's Project Reading and Writing Workshop and is a member of the Mississippi Artists' Collective. Anderson has opened concerts for Patti LaBelle, Brian McKnight and the One World Reggae Band, and she has shared the stage with Rosa Parks, matriarch of the Civil Rights Movement. She also participated in the Pathways to Freedom tour, which recently reenacted the Freedom Rides.

Anderson was invited to Cornell by graduate students in the Department of City and Regional Planning. Her visit is sponsored by the Organization of Cornell Planners, the Cornell Council for the Arts, the Office of Minority Educational Affairs, the Department of English and the College of Architecture, Art and Planning.