*Please note: Online registration for in-person seats at Cooper Union has closed. If you’d still like to attend, walk-ups are welcome! Remaining seating will be available on a first come, first served basis.
Events
Special Event
The Tenement Museum @ Cooper Union: Rethinking the Statue of Liberty with Clint Smith
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When: Tuesday, October 8, 2024, 6:30PM - 8:00PM ET
Event Location: In-Person and Virtual
Cost: Free; Suggested Donation
When the Statue of Liberty was installed with great fanfare, speeches, and a celebration of close to 1 million in 1886, no one mentioned immigration, nor did they mention abolition. The association with immigration only came with the passage of decades, and the arrival of millions of immigrants. The formative connection to abolition, the original inspiration for the Statue, was barely known at the time and had long been obscured.
Rethinking the Statue of Liberty brings together experts to resituate the story of this iconic statue. The program features award-winning actress and playwright Anna Deavere Smith who will bring some of the original texts around Lady Liberty to life. Writer Clint Smith, historian Edward Berenson, and sociologist Nancy Foner will explore the tensions and contradictions inherent in the Statue’s symbolism, how the Statue’s meaning shaped American history, and how our current moment reflects the debates during Lady Liberty’s first decade. Dr. Annie Polland, President of the Tenement Museum, will moderate the discussion.
Books by the featured panelists are available at the Tenement Museum Shop!