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The Nyack Library presents American Creed: Community Conversations
Funded through a grant with the American Library Association & Citizen Film |
What is American Creed?
ALA, in partnership with Citizen Film and the National Writing Project, selected 50 US public libraries to take part in “American Creed: Community Conversations,” a grant program that invited audiences to consider what America’s ideals and identity ought to be through screenings of, and conversations about, the PBS documentary American Creed. The Nyack Library was selected to host community screenings of the film, complemented by additional programming.
https://www.americancreed.org/
ALA, in partnership with Citizen Film and the National Writing Project, selected 50 US public libraries to take part in “American Creed: Community Conversations,” a grant program that invited audiences to consider what America’s ideals and identity ought to be through screenings of, and conversations about, the PBS documentary American Creed. The Nyack Library was selected to host community screenings of the film, complemented by additional programming.
https://www.americancreed.org/
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Civic Saturday with Felix Endara, a civic seminarian for Citizen University
August 17, 2019 noon – 2 pm Civic Saturdays are meant to help us practice being together as citizens; that is, as those willing to show up in public life together. Civic Saturday is a civic analogue to a faith gathering. Friends and strangers congregate in a common place to nurture a spirit of shared purpose, wrestle with moral questions regarding what it means to be an American, and develop a sense of civic character. The event will be hosted by Felix Endara, a civic seminarian from Citizen University. Born in Ecuador, Felix Endara is a queer transgender New York-based independent filmmaker, programmer, and arts administrator whose films have screened at festivals including Berlin, Frameline, Outfest, NewFest, DOC NYC, and Mill Valley. From 2008 to 2012, he programmed Arts Engine’s documentary screening series DocuClub, which he toured to Mexico City and Silver Spring, Maryland. |
PAST EVENTS
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PBS American Creed Documentary Screening
February 16, 2019 3 pm-4:30 pm Join us for a viewing of the PBS documentary American Creed featuring former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, historian David Kennedy and a diverse group of Americans exploring whether a unifying set of beliefs, an American creed, can prove more powerful than the issues that divide us. The Rockland County Choral Society*, "one of the oldest continuously performing arts organizations in Rockland County offering a full spectrum of beautiful choral music" under the direction of Russell Wagoner, will kick off the American Creed Documentary screening by singing "The Star Spangled Banner." *Songs may be subject to change. Running time: 86 minutes More about American Creed: The idea for American Creed grew out of conversations between two Stanford University professors: political scientist and former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, and David M. Kennedy, who became a historian in large part to determine whether the United States has a “national character” — what defines it and how it changes over time. For years, Drs. Rice and Kennedy have been deeply engaged in their own series of discussions about how to answer a number of urgent questions that are central to our success as a democracy: Who are the “we” in “We the People of the United States…”? What does being a “citizen” mean? What does productive, imaginative and engaged citizenship look like at this time in our history? How do economic booms and busts shape ideals and disconnect from ideals? What happens to the idea of a shared American creed when social mobility declines along with trust in American institutions? Where are we headed as citizens, and as a nation? These questions embrace several major issues at the forefront of American political debate: how to provide access to education and economic opportunity; how to unify the diverse cultural populations in America; and, most importantly, how to define America’s national identity. Our film takes stock of the health of what Condoleezza Rice calls “America’s aspirational narrative — the striving to do and be better that has always drawn people to this country;" what David M. Kennedy calls “the pull of America.” We hope that the stories in American Creed — which speak to our dilemmas, yet offer hope that our shared ideals can prove more powerful than our differences — will engage viewers in a bold conversation about what it will take to uphold American democracy. A Conversation with Nyack Mayor Don Hammond
March 27, 2019 7 pm-8 pm The film American Creed looks at the “big picture” civic needs of America, through this program, participants will learn more about civic duty at the local level. Mayor Hammond will speak about how to get involved in the Nyack Community and will answer questions from audience members. The Nyack Community Chorus*, under the direction of Dru Pluhowski, aims to create music that “fosters community, stirs the soul, and ignites joy for all.” The Chorus will be singing from their Winter Concert among these “Make Them Hear You”& “Give Me Your Tired Your Poor” to complement American Creed’s Conversation with Nyack’s Mayor Don Hammond. *Songs may be subject to change. American Creed Screening, Panel Discussion, and Writing Recognition Event with Dr. Mary Sawyer & Jacqueline Hesse
May 5, 2019 2 pm-4 pm Join us for a Writing Celebration! After viewing excerpts from the PBS documentary American Creed, we will celebrate outstanding youth and adult writing sparked by the film, which features former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, historian David Kennedy, and a diverse group of Americans exploring whether a unifying set of beliefs, an American creed, can prove more powerful than the issues that divide us. Facilitators: Mary Sawyer, SUNY New Paltz and Jacqueline Hesse, Newburgh Free Academy, P-TECH. Call for submissions: American Creed Writing Celebration Add your stories to the conversation sparked by American Creed through writing, art, and media. Writing may be in many forms, including essays and memoirs, digital stories, audio stories, oral histories, recorded interviews, annotated photo essays, reports on actions, or more. Look at the many examples posted on the National Writing Project’s Writing Our Future: American Creed site writingourfuture.nwp.org/americancreed, and use one of the prompts below to get your creation started: -What is your American creed? -How does your family and community history connect to your American creed? -How do words symbols or rituals express the American creed? -How do diverse Americans understand the American creed? -How can you express your American creed through action? Submissions for Nyack Library’s American Creed Writing Celebration must be submitted by April 22, 2019. Adult writers 18+ submit to: https://goo.gl/forms/qseu4JYwnG9DWMKY2 Youth 11+ - 18 with Nyack Library submit to the Hudson Valley Writing Project/Nyack Library Group Code 678620. Outstanding submissions will be recognized at the event. Adult: $50 1st Place / $25 runner up Youth: $25 1st Place / $15 runner up Prizes sponsored by the Friends of the Nyack Library You must first Sign Up at https://writingourfuture.nwp.org/americancreed/register. Once you Sign Up you can then come back and Log In when needed. The Rockland County Choral Society*, "one of the oldest continuously performing arts organizations in Rockland County offering a full spectrum of beautiful choral music" under the direction of Russell Wagoner, will start off the American Creed Writing Our Future Recognition Event by singing selections from Copland’s “Old American Songs.” *Songs may be subject to change. American Creed Film Festival with Rivertown Film
June 8, 2019 2 pm-3 pm SHORT FILM COMPETITION CASH PRIZES!!! The Nyack Library will host a film festival showcasing entries in the American Creed Grant. All filmmakers are welcomed and novices are encouraged to apply! Each entered film should between 2-8 minutes long but lengths can vary. Here are some ideas for topics to get started: What is an American? What ideals unite us as a nation? What does being an American mean to you? How we can make a difference in our immediate community? Open to anyone in the Hudson Valley interested in participating. Ages 11-18 - one submission per person Ages 18 and up - one submission per person Films may be submitted from January 18, 2019 –June 1, 2019 to https://goo.gl/forms/I85z2Kmj3VJoDG8e2 The suggested format is .mov or MP4 Outstanding submissions will be recognized at the event. Adult: $50 1st Place / $25 runner up Youth: $25 1st Place / $15 runner up Prizes sponsored by the Friends of the Nyack Library To view submitted films https://youtu.be/gROm2X3VYgw To view the Nyack Senior Center video https://youtu.be/haLS7aEQJeM Workshop and Lecture with Michael Zwelling, Home of Franklin Delano Roosevelt National Historic Site
June 13, 2019 7 pm-8 pm One must understand their history before moving on to the future. Join Michael Zwelling, an Education Specialist from the Home of Franklin Delano Roosevelt National Historic Site who will engage participants in learning about the history of voting and the lasting importance of civic engagement. |
American Creed: Community Conversations is a project of Citizen Film in partnership with the American Library Association and the National Writing Project, with support from the National Endowment for the Humanities.