FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Merissa Blum, 215-409-6645 [email protected]
NATIONAL CONSTITUTION CENTER ANNOUNCES SPEAKERS AND TOPICS
FOR WINTER 2019 AMERICA’S TOWN HALL
Topics include social media companies and the First Amendment, history’s greatest leaders, challenges to religious liberty today, and political polarization in America
Guests include General Stanley McChrystal, Daily Beast special correspondent Michael Tomasky, and WHYY’s Marty Moss-Coane
Philadelphia, PA (January 9, 2019) – The National Constitution Center today released the winter 2019 lineup for its popular America’s Town Hall series of constitutional conversations and debates bringing together the best thinkers on the left, right, and center to explore the most important constitutional issues facing our country.
Winter 2019 America’s Town Hall Programming:
Members’ Event: Film Screening of On the Basis of Sex
7 – 9:30 p.m., Monday, January 14
$25 Members & 1787 Society
Members of the National Constitution Center are invited to a private screening of the new Ruth Bader Ginsburg biopic, On the Basis of Sex, starring Felicity Jones and Armie Hammer. Following the movie, Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center and author of the forthcoming Conversations with RBG, will moderate a conversation with Carrie Rickey, Philadelphia Inquirer movie critic emerita and senior book critic at Film Quarterly, Kelsi Corkran, a partner in the Supreme Court & Appellate Practice at Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe and former law clerk to Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and Marty Moss-Coane, host of WHYY’s weekday program Radio Times. This event will take place at the Landmark Ritz Five located at 214 Walnut Street, between Second and Third Streets.
General Stanley McChrystal: History’s Greatest Leaders
6:30 p.m., Thursday, January 17
Free for 1787 Society Members, $10 Members, teachers & students, $18 Non-Members
What makes a leader? In his new book, Leaders: Myth and Reality, four-star general and former commander of U.S. and international forces in Afghanistan, General Stanley McChrystal, profiles 13 of history’s greatest leaders, including Martin Luther King Jr., Harriet Tubman, and McChrystal’s former hero Robert E. Lee, to show that leadership is not what you think it is—and never was.
Michael Tomasky: How to Fix Political Polarization in America
12 p.m., Wednesday, February 13
Free for Members, $5 Teachers & students, $8 Non-Members
In his new book, If We Can Keep It: How the Republic Collapsed and Might be Saved, Daily Beast special correspondent Michael Tomasky offers an original account of the deep roots of political polarization in America and—in a refreshing and hopeful twist—offers an agenda for how to fix it.
Intelligence Squared U.S. Debate: Can Constitutional Free Speech Principles Save Facebook from Itself?
6:30 p.m., Monday, March 4
Free for 1787 Society Members, $30 Members, teachers & students, $38 Non-Members
Some are calling for Facebook, Twitter, and other social media companies actively to police content on their platforms while others caution that enforcing content moderation would violate First Amendment principles—even if the First Amendment itself doesn’t bind private companies. Top legal scholars and social media representatives join the Center for a constitutional debate about whether or not free speech principles can save Facebook from itself. This program is presented in partnership with Intelligence Squared U.S. and sponsored in-part by a generous grant from the Charles Koch Foundation.
Free Speech on Campus: Where Should Universities Draw the Line?
6:30 – 8:30 p.m., Monday, March 18
Free for 1787 Society Members, $10 Members, teachers & students, $18 Non-Members
What are the key challenges facing universities today in supporting free expression on campus? This event includes back-to back panels with former university presidents Teresa Sullivan of the University of Virginia and Mark Yudof of the University of California, current president Tom Sullivan of The University of Vermont, and others exploring current debates about the First Amendment on campus. Panelists will address such topics as the heckler’s veto and related challenges involving campus disruption and violence; possible tensions between protecting free expression and promoting inclusion and diversity; the complicated relationship between academic freedom and free speech on campus; and more. This program is presented in partnership with the Academic Engagement Network.
Challenges to Religious Liberty Today
6:30 p.m., Wednesday, March 27
Free for 1787 Society Members, teachers & students, $10 Members, $18 Non-Members
From nuns seeking exemptions from health care mandates to a baker who refused to bake a wedding cake for a gay couple, questions about religion and the Constitution are at the center of our national debate. Legal experts from differing perspectives, including Stephanie Barclay, Elizabeth Clark, Tobias Wolff, and Robin Fretwell Wilson, explore what happens when religious liberty collides with anti-discrimination laws and regulations protecting LGBTQ and other minority groups. This program is presented in partnership with Interfaith Philadelphia and as part of their year-long civil dialogue series, A Year of Civil Conversations.
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.
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.
The National Constitution Center’s onsite Town Hall programs are generously supported by the Paul S. Levy Programming Fund.
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About the National Constitution Center
The National Constitution Center in Philadelphia inspires citizenship as the only place where people across America and around the world can come together 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 center for Civic Education, the Center delivers the best educational programs and online resources that inspire, excite, and engage citizens 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.
