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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Susan Hamilton, 609/440-6917
[email protected]
Molly Stieber, 215/568-2525
[email protected]
THE NATIONAL CONSTITUTION CENTER INVITES VISITORS TO JOIN THE CONVERSATION THIS
SPRING AT AMERICA’S TOWN HALL PROGRAMS
Constitutional Conversations Focus on Topics Including the Freedom Riders, Marriage
Equality, and More
Philadelphia (March 6, 2015) – As the only institution established by Congress to “disseminate
information about the United States Constitution on a non-partisan basis,” the National
Constitution Center in Philadelphia is proud to continue its popular America’s Town Hall
program of constitutional conversations and debates. The series, which takes place at
lunchtime and in the evenings, unites distinguished leaders, scholars, authors, and journalists
from all sides of the debate and engages them with the public.
“As America’s Town Hall, we are thrilled to invite the best constitutional thinkers in America to
debate the leading constitutional issues of our time,” said Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of
the National Constitution Center. “The Town Hall series gives the public a unique opportunity to
hear scholars on all sides of the debate, and make up their own minds.”
Most events are free and reservations are recommended. To make a reservation or for more
information, call 215-409-6700 or visit constitutioncenter.org/debate.
A complete list of the spring Town Hall series events follows.
Adams, Jefferson, and the Misfits Who Saved Free Speech
12 p.m., Tuesday, March 24, 2015
Admission: Free
Author Charles Slack vividly unfolds the pivotal events around the 1798 Sedition Act, as the
Founding Fathers struggled to preserve the freedoms they had fought so hard to create. A book
sale and signing of Liberty’s First Class: Adams, Jefferson, and the Misfits Who Saved Free
Speech will follow the program.
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This program is presented in conjunction with the National Constitution Center’s exhibition
Constituting Liberty: From the Declaration to the Bill of Rights, featuring one of 12 original
surviving copies of the Bill of Rights.
Created Equal? Freedom Riders: Roadblocks and Redemption on “Freedom’s Main Line”
6: p.m., Thursday, March 26, 2015
Admission: Free (Includes access to the Center’s newest feature exhibition, Creating Camelot:
The Kennedy Photography of Jacques Lowe)
The Constitution Center’s Jeffrey Rosen will lead a discussion on the heroic acts of the Freedom
Riders, the civil rights movement and the conflicts with the Kennedy administration. Rutgers
University professors Charlene Mires and Wayne Glasker and Freedom Rider Rev. Reginald
Green will join Rosen in this lively conversation featuring video from the powerful film Freedom
Riders.
In partnership with the National Endowment for the Humanities, The Gilder Lehrman Institute of
American History, and the Bridging Cultures initiative.
This program is part of the National Constitution Center’s commemoration of the 150th
anniversary of the 13th Amendment.
Renewing the American “We”: What We Owe James Wilson
6:30 p.m., Wednesday, April 1, 2015
Admission: Invitation only
Drexel Visiting Fellow Joe Torsella delivers the first of the Constitution Center’s two "University
Lectures." He will share his thoughts on the "forgotten founder" James Wilson and how
Americans can renew their sense of community in polarized times.
In partnership with Drexel University
Senator Mike Lee: Our Lost Constitution
6:30 p.m., Thursday, April 9, 2015
Admission: $7 members/teachers/students; $10 for public; Free for 1787 Society members
Most politicians are self-proclaimed defenders of the Constitution. Senator Mike Lee tells the
dramatic, little-known stories behind key provisions and makes the case for restoring the
United States’ lost Constitution. A book sale and signing of Our Lost Constitution: The Willful
Subversion of America’s Founding Document will follow the program.
The Declaration of Independence and the Nation that Followed
10 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., Tuesday, April 14, 2015
Admission: Free
The National Constitution Center hosts an all-day symposium featuring four discussions around
one of the most important documents in American history. Leading constitutional scholar Frank
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Michelman and Pulitzer Prize-winning author Jack Rakove will participate.
In partnership with Loyola University Chicago School of Law
How Presidents Interpret the Constitution
12 p.m., Monday, April 27, 2015
Admission: Free
University of Colorado Law School Professor Harold H. Bruff traces the evolution of the
president's formal power and examines how the United States’ commanders-in-chief have
shaped the law through their responses to important issues of their time. A book sale and
signing of Untrodden Ground: How Presidents Interpret the Constitution will follow the program.
An Expert Guide to America's Constitutional Landscape
7 p.m., Monday, May 4, 2015
Admission: Members Only
America’s foremost constitutional law scholar, Akhil Reed Amar, describes how geography has
influenced some of the biggest questions in American constitutional law. A book sale and
signing of The Law of Land: A Grand Tour of Our Constitutional Republic will follow the program.
Richard Reeves: The Shocking Story of the Japanese-American Internment
12 p.m., Wednesday, May 6, 2015
Admission: Free
Former Frontline journalist and acclaimed historian, Richard Reeves, tells the story of America’s
less-publicized response to the Pearl Harbor bombings and the many Americans who took great
risks to defend the rights of the 120,000 Japanese and Japanese-American internees. A book
sale and signing of Infamy: The Shocking Story of the Japanese-American Internment will follow
the program.
Film Screening and Philadelphia Premiere of 14
5:30 p.m., Tuesday, May 12, 2015
Admission: $7 for members/teachers/students; $10 for public; Free for 1787 Society members
(Concessions and lite fare included)
The Constitution Center hosts the Philadelphia premiere of 14: Dred Scott, Wong Kim Ark &
Vanessa Lopez – a documentary exploring the recurring question: Who has the right to be an
American citizen? A discussion with Supreme Court litigator Elizabeth Wydra and the
extraordinary families featured in the film, including a descendant of Dred Scott, will follow the
program.
This program is part of the National Constitution Center’s commemoration of the 150th
anniversary of the 13th Amendment.
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Joseph Ellis: Orchestrating the Second American Revolution
6:30 p.m., Wednesday, May 13, 2015
Admission: $7 for members/teachers/students; $10 for public; Free for 1787 Society members
Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Joseph Ellis returns to the Constitution Center to give the
unexpected story of why the 13 colonies, having just fought off the imposition of a distant
centralized governing power, would decide to subordinate themselves anew. A book sale and
signing of The Quartet: Orchestrating the Second American Revolution will follow the program.
The New Glass Ceiling: The Status of Women’s Rights in the Workplace
12 p.m., Tuesday, May 19, 2015
Admission: Free
Many Americans believe the U.S. has done a lot to protect women and ensure gender equality
in the workplace, but American Constitution Society President and D.C. insider Caroline
Fredrickson disagrees. During this event, Frederickson will discuss the status of women’s rights
in the workplace. A book sale and signing of Under the Bus: How Working Women Are Being
Run Over will follow the program.
In partnership with Vision2020 and Drexel University College of Medicine
Privacy in the Modern Age: The Search for Solutions
12 p.m., Tuesday, May 26, 2015
Free
The threats to privacy in a digital age are well known, but what is the solution? Privacy experts
Danielle Keats Citron and Marc Rotenberg offer answers and insights into today’s most critical
privacy, data protection, and surveillance questions. A book sale and signing of Privacy in the
Modern Age: The Search for Solutions will follow the program.
This program is presented in conjunction of the National Constitution Center’s exhibition,
Constituting Liberty: From the Declaration to the Bill of Rights.
The Beginning of the Bill Of Rights
6:30 p.m., Wednesday, May 27, 2015
Admission: $7 for members/teachers/students; $10 for public; Free for 1787 Society members
Award-winning historian Carol Berkin unveils her new book, The Bill of Rights—her take on the
real story of how the Bill of Rights came to be and the original intent of the Founders. A book
sale and signing of The Bill of Rights: The Fight to Secure America's Liberties will follow the
program.
This program is presented in conjunction of the National Constitution Center’s exhibition,
Constituting Liberty: From the Declaration to the Bill of Rights.
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IQ2US Debate
6:30 p.m., Tuesday, June 2, 2015
Admission: $15 members; $20 public; Free for 1787 Society members
Resolved: The Equal Protection Clause does not require States to license same-sex marriages.
John Donovan of ABC News will moderate the debate. Debaters to be announced soon.
In partnership with Intelligence Squared U.S. and sponsored by the John Templeton Foundation
Hollingsworth v. Perry: A Revolutionary Decision
6:30 p.m., Tuesday, June 9, 2015
Admission: $7 for members/teachers/students; $10 for public; Free for 1787 Society members
Renowned legal scholar Kenji Yoshino tells the definitive story of Hollingsworth v. Perry—the
landmark trial he says will stand as the most potent argument for marriage equality. A book
sale and signing of Speak Now: Marriage Equality on Trial will follow the program.
In conjunction with the Constitution Center’s feature exhibition, Speaking Out for Equality: The
Constitution, Gay Rights, and The Supreme Court, on view June 5 through September 7, 2015.
The Constitution 101: Everything You Need To Know In 2015
12 p.m., Thursday, June 11, 2015
Admission: Free
One of the nation’s most accomplished constitutional scholars, Michael Stokes Paulsen, and his
son Luke Paulsen, give a definitive modern primer on the U.S. Constitution and address the
myths and partial truths that exist today. A book sale and signing of The Constitution: An
Introduction will follow the program.
This program is presented in conjunction of the National Constitution Center’s exhibition,
Constituting Liberty: From the Declaration to the Bill of Rights.
Do the Founding Fathers Have All the Answers?
12 p.m., Thursday, June 18, 2015
Admission: Free
Beginning with the legendary rivalry between Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton and
continuing through Barack Obama’s struggle with the Tea Party, historian David Sehat
describes how Americans have repeatedly sought out the Founding Fathers to defend their
policies. A book sale and signing of The Jefferson Rule: Why We Think the Founding Fathers
Have All the Answers will follow the program.
The National Constitution Center is located at 525 Arch Street on Philadelphia’s Independence
Mall. The Center is open 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, until 6:00 p.m. on
Saturday and from noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday. Special winter admission pricing, which continues
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through March 31, 2015, is $10. For more information, call 215-409-6700 or visit
constitutioncenter.org.
About the National Constitution Center
The National Constitution Center in Philadelphia is the Museum of We the People,
America’s Town Hall, and a Headquarters for Civic Education. As the Museum of We the
People, the National Constitution Center brings the United States Constitution to life for visitors
of all ages and inspires active citizenship by celebrating the American constitutional tradition.
The museum features interactive exhibitions, engaging theatrical performances, and original
documents of freedom. As the only institution established by Congress to “disseminate
information about the United States Constitution on a non-partisan basis,” the National
Constitution Center serves as a Headquarters for Civic Education—offering cutting-edge
learning resources including the premier online Interactive Constitution. As America’s Town
Hall, the National Constitution Center hosts timely conversations about the Constitution uniting
thought leaders from all sides of the debate. For more information, call 215-409-6700 or visit
constitutioncenter.org.
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