Pivotal Civil Rights Anniversaries Topic of Exhibit at College

August 28, 2015

"Changing America: The Emancipation Proclamation, 1863, and the March on Washington, 1963," a traveling six-panel exhibit on loan from the American Library Association, is on display in Hudson Valley Community College's Marvin Library Learning Commons through October 2.

Open to the public free of charge during regular library hours, the exhibit features reproductions of rare photographs and artifacts that commemorate these two pivotal events on their 150th and 50th anniversaries, respectively. Both are explored for their historical context, accomplishments and limitations, as well as their impact on the generations that followed.

The library is sponsoring free programs and other public events in connection with the exhibit.

The Dwight Marvin Library is one of only 50 libraries across the country to be chosen for this display. "We are honored to host this exhibit, particularly at a point where the continued struggle for civil rights and justice plays out in daily headlines across our nation," said Library Director Brenda Hazard.

"Changing America: The Emancipation Proclamation, 1863 and the March on Washington, 1963" 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 exhibition is made possible by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and is part of NEH's Bridging Cultures initiative, "Created Equal: America's Civil Rights Struggle," which brings four outstanding films on the civil rights movement to communities across the United States. "Created Equal" encourages communities across the country to revisit and reflect on the long history of civil rights in America.