How do our freedoms shape our lives? What responsibilities come with them? As the United States commemorates the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, NCW Libraries invites you to join a free series of virtual community conversations with Oregon Humanities.
These facilitated discussions offer an opportunity to reflect on our nation’s history, explore under-told stories, and engage with diverse perspectives about the past, present, and future of our country. Participants are encouraged to listen, share, and learn together in a welcoming environment designed for thoughtful dialogue.
To What Do We Pledge?
July 16, 6-7:30 PM
While the opening of the Declaration of Independence gets the fanfare and the fireworks, the closing clause contains a quiet promise: “We mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.” When we talk about the founding, we often think of it as a severing from a distant power and a proclamation of individual rights. And yet, buried in that big individualistic origin story, there is a pledge of support, solidarity, and mutual aid. This conversation invites us to explore what it means for us to be bound to one another. What would it mean to “mutually pledge” ourselves to one another today?
About the facilitator
This program will be facilitated by Wendy Willis, the founding director of Oregon’s Kitchen Table, a statewide community engagement program housed at Portland State University. She is also a poet, an essayist, a stitcher, and a self-proclaimed democracy geek.
What Does Freedom Depend On?
July 28, 6-7:30PM
The United States is often called “the land of the free,” but what do our freedoms depend on? How does one person’s freedom intersect with the freedoms of others?
In this conversation, participants will explore these questions and more while considering the origins of our freedoms, how they have evolved over time, and what they mean today.
About the Facilitator
Jennifer Alkezweeny has served as Oregon Humanities’ program director since 2020. Her work focuses on helping people connect with their communities and one another through meaningful conversations. She has created learning spaces around the country and globe and loves that moment when the people in a room begin to harmonize.
Continue the Conversation
NCW Libraries will offer one more virtual conversation in the series this summer:
Aug. 13: What Does It Mean To Be American
English