Constitution Center Highlights Amendments in February

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The National Constitution Center is profiling one amendment a day in February! 27 Amendments (in 27 Days) is a fun and educational crash course in constitutional history, from the Bill of Rights to congressional salaries, and everything in between. The museum will kick off the new initiative in grand style with a First Amendment Fairfeaturing a sampling of Philadelphia’s arts and culture organizations, civic institutions, and media outlets on Saturday, February 1, 2014 from 9:30 a.m. – 5 p.m. Representatives from the Arden Theatre Company, Handwork Studio, MetroKids, Philadbundance, and more will be on hand to celebrate the First Amendment with hands-on craft activities and prizes.

 Additional programming highlights include: 

·         Monday, February 3, 2014 – National Constitution Center President and CEO Jeffrey Rosen will convene an esteemed panel of privacy experts including Anita L. Allen of the University of Pennsylvania, Charlie Savage, Washington correspondent for the New York Times, and Peter Swire, recent appointee to President Obama’s Review Group on Intelligence and Communications Technologies, for a frank discussion on the future of the NSA and privacy in connection with the Fourth Amendment. This FREE program takes place at 6 p.m. in the F.M. Kirby Auditorium at the National Constitution Center.

 ·         Saturday, February 8, 2014 – Special activities include an interactive program on the Eighth Amendment presented in partnership with Eastern State Penitentiary.

·         Thursday, February 13, 2014 – Visitors will have the chance to take a close look at the museum’s rare printing of the Emancipation Proclamation signed by President Abraham Lincoln and learn more about its history and the background of the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments. Plus, visitors will have the opportunity to get an exclusive sneak peek of the museum’s summer feature exhibition. 

·         Friday, February 14, 2014 – Museum guests can celebrate the 14th Amendment and Frederick Douglass through special programs and activities. 

·         Saturday, February 15, 2014 – Learn more about the 15th Amendment, which prohibits the use of race in determining which citizens can vote. Amendments that directly impact the limits and powers of the Executive Branch also will be explored as part of the museum’s Presidents Day Weekend activities (Feb. 15 – 17).

 Throughout February, visitors are encouraged to submit their proposal for a new amendment to be added to the U.S. Constitution, both onsite in the museum’s main exhibition, and online via the museum’s Facebook page and constitutioncenter.org. In addition, a poll question that corresponds with each of the current amendments will be asked daily to visitors. On Friday, February 28, the crowd sourced 28th Amendment will be revealed during a daytime Town Hall event hosted by Kathy O’Connell of WXPN’s Kids Corner.

 The museum has partnered with Kids Corner to record a series of 10-minute overviews on each of the amendments with National Constitution Center Vice President of Education and Visitor Experience Kerry Sautner. The new series will debut on Kids Corner on Mondays beginning February 3, 2014. The Constitution Center also is partnering with KYW Newsradio for a series of 60-second vignettes that will run on the station throughout the month of February.

 A series of educational videos, one on each amendment, is being developed in conjunction with University of Pennsylvania Law School Professor Kermit Roosevelt. The first series of videos will be available to view here beginning February 1.