April 17, 2009

The Michigan Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Committee and The Henry Ford today announced an Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial town hall meeting - "Lincoln's Legacy: Race, Freedom and Equality of Opportunity" - a unique community-building event scheduled for Monday, April 20, at 6 p.m. on the floor of Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, with the museum's "With Liberty and Justice for All" exhibit providing a meaningful backdrop.

According to Dr. William Anderson, chair of Michigan's Lincoln committee and retired director of the Department of History, Arts and Libraries (in which the Lincoln bicentennial committee is housed), Lincoln's was a life well worth studying and emulating, especially in regard to the promise of equality.

"Our town hall meeting is one of 10 such meetings taking place throughout the nation in honor of the 200th anniversary of Lincoln's birth. We'll explore what progress has been made on the ?unfinished work' of equality and opportunity that Lincoln cited at Gettysburg," said Dr. Anderson. "There are many reasons Lincoln is consistently ranked in the top tier by scholars who evaluate the effectiveness of our leaders. The time is right to take a hard look at how we can, as a region, embrace his principles to transform our communities and improve race relations."

Adam Green, associate professor of American history at the University of Chicago, will moderate the town hall conversation. Panelists include:

• Douglas Brinkley, American author and distinguished professor of history, Rice University;
• Darlene Clark Hine, professor of African American studies and history, Northwestern University;
• Dr. Arthur L. Johnson, educator, community leader and former executive secretary of NAACP-Detroit Branch;
• John Stauffer, professor of English and African American studies, Harvard University;
• Ambassador Andrew Young, activist, former mayor of Atlanta, and U.S. ambassador to the United Nations; and
• The Hon. Maxine Waters, U.S. representative, 35th District, California, co-founder of Black Women's Forum.

"The greater Detroit area has been identified as the most segregated metropolitan region in the country," explained Christian Overland, vice president of museums and collections at The Henry Ford and a member of the Michigan Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Committee. "History - and certainly Lincoln - has much to teach us about how to build a better way of life for everyone. Our hope is that by creating this community-based dialogue about Lincoln's views, we're marking a critical first step toward promoting racial harmony, respect and understanding throughout southeastern Michigan."

The Lincoln Bicentennial Town Hall Meeting at The Henry Ford is funded in part by The Fetzer Institute, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and the Community Foundation for Southeastern Michigan. To learn more about this town hall meeting, visit www.thehenryford.org.

The mission of the Michigan Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Committee is to provide leadership and direction for Michigan's celebration of the 200th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln's birth. It will do so by helping people appreciate how Lincoln's life relates to the lives of countless Michiganians today, serving as a clearinghouse for information about celebration activities, promoting partnerships that provide programming, and demonstrating how Michigan is forever linked to the life of Abraham Lincoln. Learn more about this year's programs, events and learning opportunities at www.milincoln.org.

Read more press releases from the Department of History, Arts and Libraries (HAL).