(COLUMBIA, Tenn. - April 5, 2017) - - - Columbia State Community College presents The Slave Narratives: An Adaptation of Unchained Memories April 11 and 18 at 6 p.m. in the Ledbetter Auditorium.

The Slave Narratives will consist of iconic excerpts from literature that preserve the life and legacy of many unknown African-American slaves. Columbia State faculty, staff, students and retirees will bring the lives of these brave men and women to stage through live narration - they will highlight the perseverance of a race of people that were bound, dehumanized, abused and treated as property.

"I am overjoyed at the opportunity to present these narratives to the Columbia State community," Shelley Manns, Columbia State assistant director of learning support and associate professor of English. "Audiences will have the opportunity to listen to voices of formerly enslaved people telling their own stories about their experiences during slavery. These narratives are a reflection of the time and place in which they were created. As such, they illuminate a world that is important for all Americans to explore."

The Ledbetter Auditorium is in the Clement Building on the Columbia Campus, located at 1665 Hampshire Pike. The event is free and open to the public.

For more information about the show, contact Shelley Manns at smanns@ColumbiaState.edu or visit the Columbia State website at www.ColumbiaState.edu/events.

Columbia State is a two-year college, serving a nine-county area in southern Middle Tennessee with locations in Columbia, Franklin, Lawrenceburg, Lewisburg and Clifton. As Tennessee's first community college, Columbia State is committed to increasing access and enhancing diversity at all five campuses. Columbia State is a member of the Tennessee Board of Regents, one of the largest higher education systems in the nation. For more information, please visit www.ColumbiaState.edu.

Tennessee's Community Colleges is a system of 13 colleges offering a high-quality, affordable, convenient and personal education to prepare students to achieve their educational and career goals in two years or less. We offer associate degree and certificate programs, workforce development programs and transfer pathways to four-year degrees. For more information, please visit us online at tncommunitycolleges.org.

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