People wonder what society would resemble without individuals, such as Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King Jr., who shook the foundations of humanity by promoting social and racial equality. Would we be the ununited United States?

"The power of the Highlander experience is the strength that grows within the souls of people, working together, as they analyze and confirm their own experiences and draw upon their understanding to contribute to fundamental change." Mission statement for the Highlander Center.

History tells us that a small group of passionate individuals united to change the world forever at a farmhouse in Monteagle, Tenn. founded in 1932.

The Highlander Research and Education Center pioneered a community environment focusing on educating adults on social, economic and racial issues.

The center's involvement in the labor movements of the 1940s, the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s, its current support for democracy in the Appalachian region and support for local communities in a global context, shows its commitment to social justice.

The center, now located in New Market, Tenn., 25 miles east of Knoxville, focuses on programs that equip individuals with skills to promote social equality by overcoming discrimination based on color, race, gender, sexual preference, ethnicity, class and age.

They currently have programs open to any individual interested following the footsteps of Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, Pete Seeger and Guy Carawan. The programs and workshops include the following issues:

• Civil and Human Rights
• Humane Immigration Policy
• Criminal Justice Reform
• Economic Justice and Workers' Rights
• International Peace and Solidarity
• Environmental Justice
• Youth Leadership
• Racial, Gender, and Sexual Discrimination

The University of Tennessee Libraries is sponsoring an exhibit and a series of documentaries entitled "Working for Democracy in the South and Appalachia: Highlander Research and Education Center" in honor of the center's 75th anniversary.

Films are shown from 7:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m. in the Lindsay Young Auditorium in Hodges Library and are followed by a passionate and influential guest speaker.