Cleveland State Community College and the Tennessee Chapter of the Trail of Tears Association will be hosting a Trail of Tears Educational symposium on Friday, April 13 in the George R. Johnson Cultural Heritage Center to commemorate the 180th anniversary of the Trail of Tears and the 50th anniversary of the National Park Service National Historic Trails System. The doors will open at 9 a.m. and there will be sessions running from 10 a.m.-3:30 p.m.
Informational displays will be provided at the symposium, and guest speakers will include: Brett Riggs, Sequoyah distinguished professor in Cherokee Studies at Western Carolina University; Joe Guy, McMinn County Tennessee sheriff and county historian; and Troy Wayne Poteete, executive director, Trail of Tears Association.
“It is very exciting to have the symposium held in the community where the final removal took place,” stated Debbie Moore, president of the Trail of Tears Association. “It is a dark chapter in American history, but through activities such as this, the removal will not be forgotten.”
The Trail of Tears Educational Symposium is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Moore at bradleyfolks@aol.com.