The 17th annual Freedom Seder to commemorate the Civil Rights movement and other modern liberation struggles will take place in the Student Union’s Cape Cod Lounge Thursday evening.

According to a news release from the Office of Religious and Spiritual Life, the Freedom Seder is a multicultural and interfaith celebration based on the Exodus themes of the Jewish Passover Seder. It is organized by the Muslim Students Association, the Black Student Union, Hillel, the Newman Catholic Center and the Baha’i Club, with support from the Office of Religious and Spiritual Life.

Last year’s program celebrated the memory of Nelson Mandela and the 50th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, according to the release.

Doors will open at 5:30 p.m., and the program will begin at 6 p.m. The release also said that after the hour-long program, there will be an international buffet and a musical performance by Moonlight Davis and his band.

“Through ritual, stories, poetry, and music, participants will learn about each other’s cultures and express their yearning for the liberation of all people,” the release states. “The ceremony gives voice to our desire for all people to be free from slavery and other forms of oppression, and to come together in the face of religious, racial and ethnic divisions.”

Participants of all religious and cultural backgrounds are welcome and the program is free for all members of the Five College community, according to the release.