NPL - Flipbook - Page 21
We have to know our history in order to progress, in order
to move forward, in order to have better relationships
with the communities that we protect and serve.
Richard Moore, TBI Assistant Director
S P OT LIGHT
Civil Rights and A Civil Society
Nashville Public Library’s Civil Rights Room
provides our community with a space to
come together in open dialogue about our
history and to grapple with the issues of equity and intercultural development facing
us today. Overlooking the intersection of
Church Street and Seventh Avenue North
where nonviolent protests against segregated lunch counters
took place in 1960,
the Civil Rights Room
archives
first-hand
photographs,
periodicals, manuscripts,
news accounts, and
oral histories that tell
the story of the civil
rights movement in
Nashville.
10,000 people
visited the Civil
Rights Room
6,598 children,
youth and adults
participated in Civil
Rights and a Civil
Society
92% of participants
reported a change
in attitudes and
perceptions
Our Civil Rights Collection has been utilized by everyone
from researchers and
classrooms to corporate organizations and
community groups from across the nation.
We are proud to welcome nearly 10,000
visitors to the Civil Rights Room each year.
Our Civil Rights and a Civil Society program
builds upon this foundation, using local
history as a gateway to productive conversations and storytelling to give voice to ex-
periences in the struggle for equality and
democracy. Begun as a training experience
for law enforcement officials and recruits,
Civil Rights and a Civil Society facilitates
conversations for groups throughout the
community. Participants use the library’s
unique resources to discuss complex community dynamics in ways that encourage
open discussion and
greater understanding
through a historical
framework.
Civil Rights and a Civil
Society is internationally recognized and emulated for its approach to
community dialogue –
6,598 people from universities, schools, community organizations,
corporate groups, and
law enforcement institutions participated in
Civil Rights and a Civil
Society this year.
Nearly 92% of all attendees indicated that
the program was effective in changing their
attitudes and perceptions. Through these
conversations, we work to inspire cultural
awareness, sensitivity, and empathy in our
community and nation.
2017— 2018 ANNUAL REPORT
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