DePauw Prof. Emeritus John Dittmer to appear on NPR program today

GREENCASTLE -- John Dittmer, noted civil rights historian and professor emeritus of history at DePauw University, will be a guest on today's edition of NPR's "Tell Me More." Dr. Dittmer will discuss the controversy over comments about desegregation made by Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour.

"Tell Me More" airs on 90.1 WFYI in Indianapolis at 2 p.m.

Professor Dittmer also discussed the issue with "Democracy Now!" last week. He told the program, "I think that just the idea of stating that the Citizens Council had a positive effect on the desegregation of schools in Yazoo City is absolutely absurd. The governor is standing Mississippi history on its head, because the Citizens Council was formed specifically to prevent the integration of schools."

Dittmer is the winner of the Bancroft Prize, generally considered the most prestigious award in the field of American history writing, for his book "Local People: The Struggle for Civil Rights in Mississippi." He also authored "The Good Doctors: The Medical Committee for Human Rights and the Struggle for Social Justice in Health Care."

The professor delivered the principal address to DePauw's Class of 2009 at the University's 170th commencement and received an honorary doctoral degree.