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Beyond the Proclamation: Interpreting Emancipation for Today's Youth

Saturday, February 23, 2013

Sponsored Jointly by Independence National Historical Park, the African American Museum in Philadelphia, The Library Company of Philadelphia, the University of Delaware and the Friends of Independence National Historical Park

In commemoration of the 150th Anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation, Beyond the Proclamation: Interpreting Emancipation for Today’s Youth is a symposium that will look past the historical facts of the Emancipation Proclamation to explore creative ways that difficult topics in history can be taught.

Targeted towards K-12 educators, in both, schools and other educational environments, this day of learning encourages educators to think beyond the traditional classroom setting and focus on the multiple techniques available to motivate understanding and discussion. Educators will have the opportunity to hear both from their peers as well as from professionals from across the many disciplines that interact with history/social studies education. The Emancipation Proclamation serves as the lens for our discussions, but the goal of this symposium is to provide the tools necessary to discuss any historical moment or current event with today’s youth in ways that inspire and allow them to draw powerful connections between past and present.

Keynote Speaker: Dr. Benjamin Filene (Click here to read his full biography)

Benjamin Filene is Associate Professor and Director of Public History at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Prior to UNCG, Filene worked in the exhibition department at the Minnesota Historical Society (1997-2006), where he served as Senior Exhibit Developer. He was lead developer on Open House: If These Walls Could Talk, winner of a WOW Award for innovation and an Award of Merit from the American Association for State and Local History. Filene serves on the board of the National Council on Public History. He co-edited the collection Letting Go? Historical Authority in a User-Generated World, published by the Pew Center for Arts and Heritage (2011).

Confirmed Panelists

(Click Here to read our Panelists biographies and titles of their presentation)

Area of Expertise	Name	Organization
Museum/ Historic Sites	Naomi Coquillon	Education Specialist, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution
Experiential Learning	Michelle Evans	General Manager, Conner Prairie Interactive History Park
K-12 Educator	Amy Cohen	Masterman High School
K-12 Educator	Krystal Appiah	Afro-Americana reference librarian at the Library Company of Philadelphia
Games/Video Games	Amy Hillier	Project Director of The Ward: Mapping Race and Class in DuBois’ Seventh Ward
Visual Arts	Jerry Pinkney	Children's book illustrator and artist for many National Park Service publications
Performing Arts	Michael J. Bobbitt	Producing Artistic Director of Adventure Theatre Musical Theater Center
Literature	Cynthia Levinson	Author of non-fiction books for and about young people