FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Annie Stone, 215-409-6687, [email protected]
Merissa Blum, 215-409-6645, [email protected]
NATIONAL CONSTITUTION CENTER ANNOUNCES SPEAKERS AND TOPICS
FOR SPRING/SUMMER 2020 AMERICA’S TOWN HALL
In honor of the centennial anniversary of the 19th Amendment, National Constitution Center convenes America’s top women leaders and scholars throughout 2020
Philadelphia, PA (February 13, 2020) – Today, the National Constitution Center released a list of highlights from its spring/summer 2020 lineup for its popular America’s Town Hall series of constitutional conversations and debates. As part of the Center’s yearlong Women and the Constitution initiative and opening of The 19th Amendment: How Women Won the Vote exhibit, the National Constitution Center will convene America’s top women leaders and scholars to examine the historical and constitutional background of the 19th Amendment and the importance of equal citizenship for women.
Featured programs for the spring/summer 2020 season include discussions on the untold stories of the fight for suffrage with Temple University’s Bettye Collier Thomas and Carnegie Mellon University’s Lisa Tetrault, a conversation with former congresswoman Donna Edwards, moderated by political commentator Margaret Hoover exploring the unfinished work of women’s suffrage, as well as a conversation about women’s roles and lives in the Civil War with Duke University’s Thavolia Glymph.
In the coming months, the National Constitution Center will announce more programs that focus on issues of women’s right to vote, gender equality, women’s leadership, and more. In addition to a series of public programs, the Women and the Constitution initiative will include podcast episodes and other special events. The National Constitution Center’s upcoming exhibit opening June 10, The 19th Amendment: How Women Won the Vote, will trace the triumphs and struggles that led to the ratification of the 19th Amendment. The Center is also a proud partner of Vision2020’s Women 100, a celebration of American women in the year 2020, in honor of the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment.
Additional guests of the spring/summer 2020 season include leading election law experts Richard Hasen and Edward Foley, Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Edward Larson, and The New York Times’s Jesse Wegman. Topics include Plessy v. Ferguson, the Electoral College, how to fix presidential elections in 2020 and beyond, and the constitutional legacy of the Warren court.
Additional programs will be added. Up-to-date program information is available on constitutioncenter.org/debate.
Spring/summer America’s Town Hall programming:
Women Leading Change: From Voting Rights Onward
March 10, 6:30 – 8 p.m.
Free for 1787 Society Members, $15 Members, teachers, and students, $25 Non-Members
The National Constitution Center kicks off our yearlong celebration of the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment, with an evening of conversations on the history and legacy of the amendment that secured women the right to vote. The event will begin with a discussion with noted historians Bettye Collier Thomas of Temple University and Lisa Tetrault of Carnegie Mellon University highlighting the untold stories of the fight for suffrage. It will be followed by a keynote conversation with former congresswoman Donna Edwards, moderated by political commentator Margaret Hoover exploring how we can continue the unfinished work of women’s suffrage. This program is presented in partnership with All In Together and as part of the Center’s celebration of the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment.
Members-Only Town Hall: Elizabeth Cady Stanton: An American Life featuring Lori Ginzberg
March 11, 6:30 – 7:30 p.m.
Free for 1787 Society Members, $20 for Members and their guests (includes book)
In advance of the June 10 opening of the National Constitution Center’s new The 19th Amendment: How Women Won the Vote exhibit, Center Member and scholar Lori Ginzberg discusses her book Elizabeth Cady Stanton: An American Life. A book signing will follow the program.
Franklin & Washington: The Founding Partnership
March 16, 12 – 1 p.m.
Free for Members, $5 Teachers and students, $8 Non-Members
Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Edward Larson returns to the Center to discuss his dual biography, Franklin & Washington: The Founding Partnership. Larson explores the unique alliance and friendship between two of the most revered figures of the founding era and the origins of the government they helped to create. A book signing will follow the program.
How to Fix Presidential Elections in 2020 and Beyond
March 26, 12 – 1 p.m.
Free for Members, $5 Teachers and students, $8 Non-Members, $35 Members w/ CLE, $40 Non-members w/ CLE
As the 2020 presidential campaign begins, join two of America’s leading election law experts, Richard Hasen and Edward Foley, for a discussion on how to fix presidential elections, in 2020 and beyond. Building on Foley’s Presidential Elections and Majority Rule: The Rise, Demise, and Potential Restoration of the Jeffersonian Electoral College and Hasen’s Election Meltdown: Dirty Tricks, Distrust, and the Threat to American Democracy, the two authors explore the history of the presidential election system, current challenges, and proposed remedies. CLE credit available. Includes a book sale and signing.
Why Does the Electoral College Exist?
April 20, 12 – 1 p.m.
Free for Members, $5 Teachers and students, $8 Non-Members
Jesse Wegman of the New York Times editorial board and author of Let the People Pick the President: The Case for Abolishing the Electoral College, William Ewald, professor of philosophy and law at the University of Pennsylvania, and others explore the Electoral College’s controversial origins, the influence of founder James Wilson, and the many attempts to reform it over the years. Includes a book sale and signing.
The Constitutional Legacy of the Warren Court: 50 Years Later
May 5, 12 – 1 p.m.
Free for Members, $5 Teachers and students, $8 Non-Members, $35 Members w/ CLE, $40 Non-members w/ CLE
In commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the end of the Warren Court, legal scholars Geoffrey Stone and David Strauss examine the lasting impact of the landmark era in constitutional history defined by Chief Justice Earl Warren. Stone and Strauss discuss some of the biggest cases decided by the Warren Court including Brown v. Board, Loving v. Virginia, Gideon v. Wainwright, Miranda v. Arizona, and others. CLE credit available. Includes a book sale and signing.
Separate: The Story of Plessy v. Ferguson
May 11, 6:30 – 7:30 p.m.
Free for 1787 Society Members, $10 Members, teachers, and students, $18 Non-Members, $35 Members w/ CLE, $40 Non-members w/ CLE
Join Steve Luxenberg, associate editor at The Washington Post and award-winning author, for a discussion on his book, Separate: The Story of Plessy v. Ferguson, and America’s Journey from Slavery to Segregation—a fresh exploration of America’s most devastating divide and its consequences. CLE credit available. Includes a book sale and signing.
The Women's Fight: The Civil War's Battles for Home, Freedom, and Nation
May 21, 12 – 1 p.m.
Free for Members, $10 Teachers and students, $18 Non-Members
Thavolia Glymph, professor of history and law at Duke University, unveils a comprehensive new history of women's roles and lives in the Civil War as described in her new book The Women's Fight: The Civil War's Battles for Home, Freedom, and Nation. Glymph shows how the Civil War exposed the nation's fault lines, not just involving race and class but also gender. Following the program, guests will have access to the Civil War and Reconstruction exhibit. Includes a book sale and signing. This program is presented in conjunction with the Center’s Civil War and Reconstruction: The Battle for Freedom and Equality exhibit and as part of the Center’s celebration of the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment.
The National Constitution Center’s America’s Town Hall series features distinguished leaders, scholars, authors, and journalists who speak on the most significant constitutional topics of our time. Tickets for the National Constitution Center’s America’s Town Hall programs are free or discounted for Members and advance registration is recommended as programs fill quickly. Tickets can be purchased by phone at 215-409-6700 or online at constitutioncenter.org/debate. America’s Town Hall programs are also streamed live at constitutioncenter.org/live, and past programs can be found on the Interactive Constitution at constitutinocenter.com/interactive-constitution/media-library.
The National Constitution Center offers Continuing Legal Education credit in-person at America’s Town Hall programs and on-demand online. Programs are available for CLE credit in various states. Visit constitutioncenter.org/CLE for additional information.
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About the National Constitution Center
The National Constitution Center in Philadelphia brings together people of all ages and perspectives, across America and around the world, to learn about, debate, and celebrate the greatest vision of human freedom in history, the U.S. Constitution. A private, nonprofit organization, the Center serves as America’s leading platform for constitutional education and debate, fulfilling its congressional charter “to disseminate information about the U.S. Constitution on a nonpartisan basis.” As the Museum of We the People, the Center brings the Constitution to life for visitors of all ages through interactive programs and exhibits. As America’s Town Hall, the Center brings the leading conservative and liberal thought leaders together to debate the Constitution on all media platforms. As a Headquarters for Civic Education, the Center delivers the best educational programs and online resources that inspire citizens and engage all Americans in learning about the U.S. Constitution. For more information, call 215-409-6700 or visit constitutioncenter.org.
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About the National Constitution Center
The National Constitution Center in Philadelphia brings together people of all ages and perspectives, across America and around the world, to learn about, debate, and celebrate the greatest vision of human freedom in history, the U.S. Constitution. A private, nonprofit organization, the Center serves as America’s leading platform for constitutional education and debate, fulfilling its congressional charter “to disseminate information about the U.S. Constitution on a nonpartisan basis.” As the Museum of We the People, the Center brings the Constitution to life for visitors of all ages through interactive programs and exhibits. As America’s Town Hall, the Center brings the leading conservative and liberal thought leaders together to debate the Constitution on all media platforms. As a Headquarters for Civic Education, the Center delivers the best educational programs and online resources that inspire citizens and engage all Americans in learning about the U.S. Constitution. For more information, call 215-409-6700 or visit constitutioncenter.org.
