Speakers at the 2018 rights rites included (clockwise from top left)  10 year old orator Mattie Pittard, who spoke on justice and diversity, Knowa Johnson of the Athens Anti-Discrimination Movement, Congressional candidate Chalis Montgomery, and  Athens/Clarke County Commission candidate Tim Denson.

The milestone 40th Annual Athens Human Rights Festival took place on May 5 and 6, 2018.  Festival t-shirts featuring a psychedelic logo designed by Martie Bell (middle photo) were sell-out items at the event.

Information booths are an important facet of the festival.  In the photos above are some of the tables touting a variety of causes and concerns of interest to festival audiences.

Musicians at the 40th Annual Athens Human Rights Festival included (clockwise from top) the Athens Cowboy Choir, perennial performer Tommy Jordan, the Full Moon School of Music Varsity Band,  Gypsy at Heart, Hobohemians, Moonshine, and Michael Guthrie, who played the fest on his birthday.

The Diva Experience drag show has been a crowd-pleasing part of the Athens Human Rights Festival for more than 25 years (top photos). Face painting is popular at the event each year (left photo). Joy and I posed in our t-shirts commemorating the 40 years of the Athens Human Rights Festival.