Penn Center on St. Helena Island and its involvement in the Civil Rights Movement as well as its importance in today’s community will be the topic of discussion at the April 23 annual meeting of the Friends of the Beaufort Library.

Emory Campbell, former Executive Director of Penn Center, will be the guest speaker along with Thomas Barnwell Jr., and retired Magistrate Joe McDermott who will be participating on a discussion of Penn’s role in the community.

“Our annual meeting typically occurs at the Scott Street library, followed by our Spring Book Sale,” said Board Chairwoman Marilyn Harcharik. “This year we are changing the entire concept. There will not be a book sale since our Friends bookstores in each of the branches offer book buying deals every day. Plus we are combining the Friends’ year-end business meeting with an enriching experience at this historical community gem, Penn Center.”

The meeting will be held at 10 a.m. in the Penn Center Frissell Community House.

Campbell is author of the book <em>Gullah Cultural Legacies</em> and was a member of the committee that translated the New Testament into the Gullah language. He currently serves as Chairman of the Gullah-Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor Commission, an organization empowered by the U.S. Congress to develop a program to commemorate Gullah culture from Wilmington, N.C. to Jacksonville, Fla.