Activating the Promise of Democracy: From Crispus Attucks to Thaddeus Stevens and Beyond

Thursday, February 1, 2024
Reception 5:30pm | Discussion 6pm
Southern Market, 100 S. Queen St., Lancaster, PA

The United States was founded as a nation in which all men were created equal and had the freedom to elect the officials who governed their communities. However, the Founders did not make the ideals of freedom, equality, and democracy available to everyone. Among those who have fought to make these ideals a reality are Crispus Attucks, a Black man who was the first to die in the long fight for American Independence, and Thaddeus Stevens, a white abolitionist and politician who represented Lancaster in Congress and helped pass the Constitutional Amendments which abolished slavery, extended civil rights to all citizens, and granted Black men the right to vote.

Join the Crispus Attucks Community Center and LancasterHistory on Thursday, February 1 at 5:30pm at Southern Market for a conversation inspired by Crispus Attucks, Thaddeus Stevens, and Nikole Hannah-Jones’ groundbreaking essay “Democracy” from The 1619 Project. We invite attendees to read the essay, listen to the podcast, or watch the documentary ahead of time and participate in a discussion of these key figures and the history of democracy and race in our communities. We’ll continue the conversation begun at the MLK Breakfast and launch the celebration of Black History Month 2024. This is a free event.

To register, please complete and submit the form below. If you have any questions, please contact Mabel Rosenheck, Director of Education and Exhibition Planning at LancasterHistory, (mabel.rosenheck@lancasterhistory.org) or Arelis Perez, VP of Economic Empowerment at Community Action Partnership (aperez@caplanc.org). Links to materials will be included in your confirmation email.

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