Event Date:
Start at 7:00 PMJune 18, 2026
AADC Hosts 2026 Virtual Zagoren Lecture
The Green Book, the Automobile and the Road to Civil Rights
Featuring Dr. Gretchen Sullivan-Sorin ’74
All alumnae, friends, the Rutgers community, and the public are invited to our 2026 Virtual Zagoren Lecture. AADC Society of Excellence member, Dr. Gretchen Sullivan-Sorin ’74, Director and Distinguished Professor, Cooperstown Graduate Program, will chronicle how the advent of the car–the ultimate symbol of independence and possibility–has always held a special importance for African Americans. It brought them new mobility and freedom but also exposed them to discrimination and deadly violence. Black motorists relied on travel guides, Black-only businesses, and informal communication networks to keep themselves safe as they ventured out on the open road in their cars. This history charts how the automobile fundamentally reshaped African American life and made the modern Civil Rights Movement possible. The Associate Alumnae of Douglass College presents this impactful lecture as we honor Juneteenth.
The annual Zagoren Lecture features an alumna and honors former AADC Executive Director, the late Adelaide Marcus Zagoren â40.
