Preview the Mannie Jackson Center for the Humanities During Open House Dec. 7

Edwardsville, IL – Visitors are invited to preview the new Mannie Jackson Center for the Humanities during an Open House event Dec. 7.

The building, located at 1210 N. Main St. in Edwardsville, Illinois, will be open from 1-6 p.m. for tours. Light refreshments will be served as visitors make their way through the halls that were once part of the Historic Lincoln School.

"I have faced many societal challenges during my life,” said Mannie Jackson, Lincoln School alumnus, influential businessman and namesake for the Center. “The formation of this Center will result in programs that give people a better understanding of societal differences and how we should embrace those differences. Without that understanding, people throughout the world will continue to have conflicts with other cultures.”

Ongoing, the Center aims to work toward these goals and influence positive social change in the community and beyond through major speakers, community and youth programming, and other educational activities, including those related to STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics).

“The Mannie Jackson Center for the Humanities will serve as a ground for discussions and dialogue about respect, dignity, understanding and forgiveness, with a goal of improving and changing relationships,” said MJCHF Executive Director Ed Hightower. “Young people will be provided with a range of opportunities to engage in activities that promote tolerance, respect, dignity and a sense of self-worth.”

Lewis and Clark Community College President Dale Chapman encourages the public to attend this week’s open house.

“Take an early look inside the Center, which will promote a better understanding and appreciation for differences in our increasingly pluralistic world, and help inform our way forward to solutions and progress,” Chapman said.

The Mannie Jackson Center for the Humanities is a division of Lewis and Clark Community College and is supported by the Mannie Jackson Center for the Humanities Foundation (MJCHF), a 501(c)(3) organization.

For more information, visit www.mjchf.org. To reach the MJCHF, call (618) 655-2881.