In this file photo, Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist Leonard Pitts Jr. of the Miami Herald smiles as he speaks to those attending his lecture In

Pulitzer Prize winner Leonard Pitts will give the keynote address at this spring’s inaugural Free State Forum, hosted by the American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas.

Slated for May 21 from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Abe and Jake’s Landing, 8 E. Sixth St., the ACLU-organized event will focus on reproductive and voting rights in the Sunflower State.

“We were really looking for somebody who we knew had a track record of thoughtful writing concerning difficult civil liberties issues,” said Robert Eye, a Lawrence attorney and ACLU of Kansas board member. “And in particular, Leonard has done such good writing concerning the role of race, the role of women and the political process, generally, and where it fits in within the national consciousness. To us he seemed a compelling figure.”

Also a critically acclaimed novelist, Pitts has written extensively about race, politics and culture in his nationally syndicated column at the Miami Herald, for which he earned a Pulitzer Prize for commentary in 2004. He has received honors from the Society of Professional Journalists, the American Society of Newspaper Editors and the National Association of Black Journalists, among others.

The Free State Forum (not related to the Lawrence Arts Center’s Free State Festival) will also honor “Kansas citizens making a stand for liberty,” including Dr. Herb Hodes, an Overland Park physician who last year filed a lawsuit challenging state abortion law, and the plaintiffs of the 2014 Kansas marriage equality case Marie v. Moser.

Panel discussions, a film screening, cocktails, dinner and a book signing by Pitts are also planned.

The event is open to the public, though registration is required. Tickets cost $35 for dinner and one drink ticket; for an additional $25, guests will also receive a copy of Pitts’ 2015 novel “Grant Park.” Contact rsvp@aclukansas.org or 913-490-4100 to make a reservation.