Join us as we commemorate both the powerful words of the Declaration of Independence and how generations have fought – and continue to fight – to make these ideas real. Pulitzer Prize-winning historians Annette Gordon-Reed and Jon Meacham reflect on our country’s founding principles, and the role Thomas Jefferson envisioned citizens playing in moving the […]
How could the author of the Declaration of Independence own slaves? How did the Founders’ failure on slavery stunt the American Dream? What are some of the key lessons from the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s? Ed Ayers, Marian Wright Edelman, Annette Gordon-Reed, Deborah McDowell discuss with Peter S. Onuf.
Our democracy is vulnerable. Bringing together community members and experts, this series explores historical connections to recent events in our country that have revealed those vulnerabilities in our democratic framework and offer opportunities for discussion and dialog on how we can move forward together. In collaboration with Historic Columbia, Richland Library, University of South Carolina […]
Across the country, concerned citizens joined us for the release of the final report of the Commission on the Practice of Democratic Citizenship. We heard from the Commissioners, dedicated Americans, and organizations who came together to make these recommendations and learned about the steps we can take to improve the resilience of our democracy by […]
What does civic media look like, and how can it compete with social media? What are the benefits to creating a platform that would help, rather than harm, our democratic society? Stream the conversation with experts. In collaboration with the American Academy of Arts & Sciences
A collection of videos from the series Pizza & Politics, plus some extra videos (our favorites!). State of the Students is a nonpartisan student-led organization that serves to bridge the gap between students & their elected officials and encourage youth participation in the civic process. We believe that a functioning democracy starts with impactful, experiential […]
Tools and skills to be active participants in civic life.
Join Atlanta History Center for a panel discussion with Ambassador Andrew Young, Al Vivian, and Steve Fiffer (co-author) as they discuss C.T. Vivian's posthumously published memoir It's In the Action. The panel will be moderated by journalist Ernie Suggs.
Explore how ordinary citizens and public figures use their words to engage in the civic process to effect positive change in the Our Words, Our Power Speech Workshop Series. To celebrate Pride, we’ll center our thoughts and discussion around LGBTQ+ rights. Ford’s Teaching Artist and actor Scott Abernethy will perform a speech (TBD), followed by […]
On May 21-22, 2016, the National Archives presented a National Conversation on Civil Rights and Individual Freedom in partnership with the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum in Atlanta, GA. This two-day event addressed the challenges to and future of civil rights and individual freedom, and featured a Q&A session with former President Jimmy Carter […]
The events that occurred at our nation’s Capitol on January 6, 2021 are not only shocking in today’s world, but also generated comparisons to previous episodes from history. As images, video clips, and news reports filled social media feeds, they invited comparisons to previous historical events and inquiries about connections to the past. Many of […]
The SCHOOL SAGAS oral history program interviews students of formerly segregated institutions. Senior citizens remember the upheaval of desegregation, and current students describe continuing divisions. Their stories trace society’s triumphs and discord by looking at the schoolhouse—where we cheer and learn together, where the gap between textbook “equality” and real world implementation is on display.