NLCC 2025: Voices of Freedom: An Evening with Gloria J. Browne-Marshall

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2026
6:30 PM – 8:00 PM
NATCHEZ CONVENTION CENTER
TICKETS – $49.70 – PURCHASE HERE

Join us for an unforgettable evening of reflection, resilience, and resistance at Voices of Freedom, a banquet honoring the power of civic action and the enduring fight for justice in America. Our keynote speaker, legal scholar, playwright, and author Gloria J. Browne-Marshall, will draw from her acclaimed book A Protest History of the United States to explore the stories of ordinary people who demanded extraordinary change—from the American Revolution to today.

Through her keynote, Browne-Marshall will illuminate how protest has shaped—and continues to shape—the soul of our nation. This banquet is not only a celebration of her work, but a tribute to the generations who dared to raise their voices.

About the book:

Exploring 500 years of protest and resistance in US history—and how its force is foundational and can empower us to navigate our chaotic world

In this timely new book in Beacon’s successful ReVisioning History series, professor Gloria Browne-Marshall delves into the history of protest movements and rebellion in the United States. Beginning with Indigenous peoples’ resistance to European colonization and continuing through to today’s climate change demonstrations, Browne-Marshall sheds light on known and forgotten movements and their unsung leaders, revealing how protest has shaped our nation and remains a vital force for change today.

Drawing upon legal documents, archival material, memoir, government documents and secondary sources, A Protest History of the United States gives voice to those who pushed back against the mistreatment of others, themselves, and in some instances planet Earth. Browne-Marshall highlights stories of individuals from all walks of life, backgrounds, and time periods who helped bring strong attention to their causes. Those stories include those of:

• Wahunsenacock, more commonly known to history as Chief Powhatan, who took on English invaders in pre-colonial America in 1607;
• legendary boxer Muhammad Ali who refused to be inducted into the US military during the Vietnam era and appealed all the way to the US Supreme Court;
• and David Buckel, LGBTQ+ rights lawyer and environmental activist who protested against fossil fuels by committing self-immolation in 2018.

Regardless of whether these protests accomplished their end goals, Browne-Marshall reminds us that dissent is always meaningful and impactful. In fact, reading this book is an act of protest.

About the author:

Gloria J. Browne-Marshall is a Professor of Constitutional Law at John Jay College of Criminal Justice (CUNY). She teaches classes in Constitutional Law, Race and the Law, Evidence, and Gender and Justice. She taught in the Africana Studies Program at Vassar College prior to John Jay. She is a civil rights attorney who litigated cases for Southern Poverty Law Center in Alabama, Community Legal Services in Philadelphia, and the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, Inc.. She addresses audiences nationally and internationally. Gloria J. Browne-Marshall has spoken on issues of law and justice in Ghana, Rwanda, England, Wales, Canada, South Africa and before the United Nations in Geneva.

Professor Browne-Marshall is the author of many articles and the books including “She Took Justice: The Black Woman, Law, and Power” (Routledge), “The Voting Rights War: The NAACP and the Ongoing Struggle for Justice” (Rowman&Littlefield), “The Constitution: Major Cases and Conflicts” (Anthem Press) and “Race, Law, and American Society: 1607 to Present,” (Routledge) which includes chapters on race and Education, Voting Rights, Criminal Justice, Property, Civil Liberties and Protest, the Military and Internationalism concerning African-Americans, Latinos, Asian-Americans and Native Americans. 

She is a playwright of eight produced plays. Recently, her virtual zoom staged-readings of “SHOT: Caught a Soul” and “Dreams of Emmett Till” were chosen as Official Selections at film festivals.

Gloria’s full-length play in-process is titled “CLASS” about the racial fight over the American Dream. Her screenplay “Sgt. Freeman” was a Finalist as well as Official Selection at national and international film festivals. She is working on a documentary film titled “She Took Justice” to accompany the book by the same name.

Professor Browne-Marshall is a legal commentator who covers the United States Supreme Court and major cases. She has given commentary on Supreme Court decisions, impeachments of Donald Trump, police-involved civilian deaths, criminal law, racial justice and constitutional questions on media such as CNN, NPR, BBC, MSNBC, CBS, WVON as well as newspapers nation-wide. Professor Browne-Marshall is a member of the bar of the Supreme Court of the United States and a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation. She is a member of the board of ASALH – the Association for the Study of African-American Life and History. ASALH was founded by Dr. Carter G. Woodson, the scholar and creator of Black History Month.

Gloria J. Browne-Marshall has been the recipient of several honors including the Ida B. Wells-Barnett Justice Award for her work with civil rights, social justice and women’s equality issues and the Wiley College Women of Excellence in Law award. She is a member of the Dramatist Guild, Mystery Writers of America, National Association of Black Journalists, PEN American Center, Society of Professional Journalists, the American Bar Association, Authors Guild, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., the National Bar Association and the National Press Club.

Professor Browne-Marshall completed the New York City Marathon. She is working on her first novel.