Changing America: The Emancipation Proclamation, 1863, and the March on Washington, 1963, a traveling exhibition opening at the Moline Public Library on Monday, March 24^th, examines the relationship between two great people's movements that resulted in the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, and the March on Washington in 1963. Both grew out of decades of bold actions, resistance, organization, and vision. One hundred years separate them, yet they are linked in a larger story of liberty and the American experience - one that has had a profound impact on the generations that followed.

"We are pleased to have been selected as a site for this exhibition," said library Director, Lee Ann Fisher.  "The dramatic story of how these two pivotal events came into being, a century apart, and how each helped put the nation on a course toward fulfilling its commitment to liberty and justice for all, is one that can inspire all Americans. Decades of work, struggle and sacrifice by many dedicated individuals and groups preceded both of these events. The exhibition tells the story of these struggles and their impact on American history and on the extension of equal rights to all Americans."

The exhibition will travel to 50 venues across the nation, accompanied by public programming that will help audiences understand and discuss the relationship between these two great people's movements.

The Moline Public Library is sponsoring free programs and other public events in connection with the exhibition. Changing America will be on display at the library until April 30^th

The exhibit is presented as part of the six-week series with Created Equal: America's Civil Rights Struggle which explores our nation's civil rights history through film, discussion, and presentations.  More information about Created Equal and Changing America can be found online at molinelibrary.com/createdequal, by visiting the library at 3210 41^st Street, or by calling 309-524-2470.

Changing America is presented by the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture and the National Museum of American History in collaboration with the American Library Association Public Programs Office. The traveling exhibition is made possible by the National Endowment for the Humanities: Exploring the human endeavor.

Created Equal: America's Civil Rights Struggle is made possible through a major grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities, as part of its Bridging Cultures initiative, in partnership with the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History.

Local support for Created Equal and Changing America has been provided by Friends of the Moline Public Library, WQPT, and The Moline Dispatch/Rock Island Argus/QCOnline.

The Moline Public Library is pleased to kick off a six-week look at our nation's civil rights history.  Beginning Monday, March 24^th, the travelling exhibition Changing America: The Emancipation Proclamation, 1863 to the March on Washington, 1963 will be on display on the library's 2^nd floor.  This exhibit, which examines the relationship between these two great people's movements that tell the larger story of liberty and the American experience, will be on display until April 30^th.

In conjunction with Changing America, the Moline Library, with program partners Rock Island Public Library and the Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center, will feature the film screening and discussion series Created Equal: America's Civil Rights Struggle.  The four documentaries, produced with support from the National Endowment for the Humanities, tells the remarkable stories of individuals who challenged the social and legal status quo of deeply rooted institutions, from slavery to segregation.  The first viewing and discussion session, featuring The Loving Story, will be held at the Rock Island Main Library Saturday, March 29^th at 2:00 p.m.

Additionally, the Moline Public Library is hosting several programs which will highlight the milestones, prominent figures, and themes of Changing America and Created Equal.  A full schedule and descriptions of events can be found at molinelibrary.com/createdequal.

The series schedule, in brief, is as follows:

The Created Equal film and discussion series will be hosted by program partners:

The Loving Story, with discussion led by Reverend Dwight Ford of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center, will be at Rock Island Main Library (401 19^th Street, Rock Island) on Saturday, March 29^th at 2:00 p.m.

Slavery by Another Name, with discussion led by Dr. Christopher Whitt of Augustana College, will be at Moline Public Library on Monday, April 14^th at 6:00 p.m.

The three part documentary The Abolitionists will be screened at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center (630 7^th Avenue, Rock Island) at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, April 15^th, April 22^nd, and April 29^th, with discussion led by Rev. Ford.

Freedom Riders, with discussion led by Dr. Whitt, will be at the Moline Public Library on Monday, April 21^st at 6:00 p.m.

All other events will be held at the Moline Public Library:

The series' keynote address, Still Moving: The 1960s Civil Rights Movement and Living History will be presented by Dr. Paul Bushnell at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 1^st.

A book discussion of Kindred by Octavia Butler will be led by Western Illinois University-Quad Cities' Dr. Everett Hamner on Thursday, April 3^rd at 7:00 p.m.  Registration is required for this event and can be done at the library or by calling 309-524-2470.

A discussion of our regional history and The Underground Railroad will be presented by Dr. Arthur Pitz on Tuesday, April 8^th at 7:00 p.m.

Illinois Humanities Council's Road Scholar Donna Pierce will discuss the role of food between 1915 and the late seventies in Meals on Wheels: Great Migration Recipes Ride the Rails North on Wednesday, April 9^th at 7:00 p.m.

Award winning Illinois folksinger Chris Valillo will perform Songs of the Civil Rights Movement on Wednesday, April 26^th at 6:30 p.m.

Musician Coleman Harris, with dancer Dorian Byrd and poet Shellie Moore Guy will be Celebrating Langston Hughes on Tuesday, April 22^nd at 6:30 p.m.

On Wednesday, April 23^rd at 7:00 p.m., Dr. Nancy Huse will enact the words of Ida B. Wells: Our Fearless American Foremother in a first-person, Chautauqua-style program.

Freedom Summer participant Patti Miller will discuss her civil rights era experiences in Keeping History Alive: Freedom Summer Experience 1964 on Saturday, April 26^th at 2:00 p.m.

Dr. Arthur Pitz returns to present Civil Rights March in Davenport on Monday, April 28^th, at 7:00 p.m.

For more information, visit or call the Moline Public Library at 309-524-2470 or visit the series web site at molinelibrary.com/createdequal.

Created Equal: America's Civil Rights Struggle is made possible through a major grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities, as part of its Bridging Cultures initiative, in partnership with the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History.

Changing America is presented by the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture and the National Museum of American History in collaboration with the American Library Association Public Programs Office. The traveling exhibition is made possible by the National Endowment for the Humanities: Exploring the human endeavor.

Local support for Created Equal and Changing America has been provided by Friends of the Moline Public Library, WQPT, and The Moline Dispatch/Rock Island Argus/QCOnline.  Additional support was provided by the Illinois Humanities Council (IHC), which is supported in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Illinois General Assembly (through the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency) as well as by contributions from individuals, foundations, and corporations.

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Building Peace in the Middle East, schedule for June 11, June 18, June 25th and July 2nd at the Moline Public Library, is being postponed.  This series of events, presented by Dr. Arthur Pitz, will be rescheduled this Fall.  For further information, contact the Moline Public Library at 309-524-2470.

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The Moline Public Library and the Jewish Federation of the Quad Cities welcome historian Dr. Arthur Pitz as he leads the series Building Peace in the Middle East, beginning in June.  The program will be held four consecutive Tuesdays, June 11, June 18, June 25th and July 2nd, beginning at 6:30 p.m. at the Moline Library, 3210 41st Street.

Participants will learn the art of conflict resolution and international relations through the methods of the Harvard Negotiation Project.  These principles will be applied to current issues facing the Middle East through active group discussion and consensus building.

This grant-funded program is provided by the generosity of the United States Institute of Peace, the independent, nonpartisan conflict management center created by Congress to prevent and mitigate international conflict without resorting to violence. USIP works to save lives, increase the government's ability to deal with conflicts before they escalate, reduce government costs, and enhance national security. USIP is headquartered in Washington, DC with offices in Baghdad, Iraq, and Kabul, Afghanistan.

As part of its congressional mandate, USIP devotes a portion of its budget to support organizations that will advance the field of conflict management by developing new techniques, establishing best practices, and professionalizing the field through education and training. The Public Education for Peacebuilding Support is a program of USIP administered by the Institute of International Education.

Space is limited for this event, so registration is required.  Participants may sign up by visiting the Moline Public Library or calling 309-524-2470.

Illinois teachers may choose to attend this series for 8 CPDUs, with a $25 fee through the Rock Island County Regional Office of Education or one hour of graduate credit from Aurora University for a $100 fee.  Contact RIROE at 309-736-1111 for more information.