NEVADA CITY, Calif. May 20, 2019 – On Tuesday, May 21, at 11:00 a.m., the Doris Foley Library for Historical Research in Nevada City will host the second of three American Creed Community Conversations about connection, relationships, and the community. The public is invited to listen to a brief story or poem and then participate in a moderated discussion concerning the themes from the reading, moderated by Lori Burkhart-Frank.
Tuesday’s Community Conversation is the second in a series of library events reflecting the issues raised by the PBS documentary film American Creed. In American Creed, former US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Pulitzer Prize-winning historian David M. Kennedy come together from different points of view to investigate the idea of a unifying American creed. Their spirited inquiry frames the stories of citizen-activists striving to realize their own visions of America’s promise across deepening divides. At the heart of this film, Rice and Kennedy lead a moving discussion with first generation college students about the question: what does it mean to be American today?
The final Community Conversation will take place at the Grass Valley Library on Monday, June 3 at 4:00 p.m. Different short stories, poems, and essays are discussed at each Community Conversation, so interested parties are encouraged to attend all three.
On Saturday, June 15, at 1:00 p.m., the film American Creed will be shown in the Madelyn Helling Library’s Community Room. Following the film, Tea Party co-founder Mark Meckler, who is featured in the documentary, will talk about what led him to participate in the film and about his experiences both during and after the filming. Lori Burkhart-Frank will moderate the ensuing discussion about the themes of the film and the concept of an American creed.
All events are free and open to the public.
The Nevada County Community Library was selected by the American Library Association (ALA) in partnership with Citizen Film and the National Writing Project, as one of 50 libraries nationwide receiving a programming grant to host community conversations centered on American Creed. American Creed Community Conversations are film screenings and facilitated discussions that mirror the type of conversation Rice and Kennedy have in the film: one designed to engage Americans in reflection and dialogue about their own part in the American story, and in acting to shape that story for the better. The Nevada County Community Library is participating in American Creed Community Conversations because public discourse and understanding are important to the health of our community.
American Creed is a co-production of Citizen Film and WTTW Chicago and was made possible by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting as part of American Graduate: Let’s Make It Happen. American Creed Community Conversations are supported by the National Endowment for the Humanities.
For more information, visit mynevadacounty.com/library or americancreed.org, or call (530) 470-2692.