LEWISTON — The African-American quest for citizenship, equality and justice will be the focus of a free University of Southern Maine event on Thursday, Feb. 2, which will include history, poetry and singing.

The production, “Becoming American: W.E.B. Du Bois and the Meaning of Race and Citizenship in the Jim Crow Era,” is scheduled to begin with a 5 p.m reception, followed by the 6 p.m. program at The Dolard and Priscilla Gendron Franco Center at 46 Cedar St. in Lewiston.

Joyce Gibson, the dean of USM’s Lewiston-Auburn College, will provide an introduction and talk about her personal experiences living in Mississippi during the Jim Crow Era. Professor Leroy Rowe will follow with a discussion exploring the African American struggle for inclusion into American democratic society, from the Reconstruction period through to the Civil Rights era. Rowe is an assistant professor of African American History and Politics at USM.

Interspersed in the program will be poetry readings from USM students and performances by the USM Chamber Singers. Songs and readings will reference the work of legendary historian and author W.E.B. Du Bois with a special focus on his 1903 book, “The Souls of Black Folk.”