For Immediate Release: December 9, 1997
Further information: Tom McNaught (617) 514-1662
The John F. Kennedy Library and Museum presents its 1998 lineup of new and special exhibitions including Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy; the 1963 Civil Rights Movement; and the African Independence Movement. New cafe featuring spectacular view of Boston Harbor opens; children ages 12 and under admitted free effective January 1, 1998.
In addition to its recently expanded exhibit on First Lady Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy, the John F. Kennedy Library and Museum will offer a number of new and special exhibitions in 1998:
The State Dinner for Grand Duchess Charlotte of Luxembourg - through April 12, 1998
A special exhibit on the White House State Dinner featuring the gown worn by Mrs. Kennedy, the state gifts exchanged, President Kennedy's dinner doodles and other materials from the Archives.
Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy - Opens April, 1998
An expanded, permanent exhibit featuring the leadership role played by the President’s brother in mobilizing the forces of the Justice Department to assist the civil rights movement.
The Civil Rights Movement in 1963 - April through September 1998
A new, special display featuring actual documents from the Library’s archives chronicling the leadership role of black civil rights leaders in 1963.
Art and Ceremony at the White House - April through September 1998
A special exhibit demonstrating the use of diplomatic occasions by President and Mrs. Kennedy to promote and spotlight the African Independence Movement.
Presidents Day - Free Admission - February 16, 1998
Ernest Hemingway Foundation/PEN Award Ceremony - April 5
Profile in Courage Award Ceremony - May 28, 1998
“Facing a Moral Crisis — The Struggle for Civil Rights in 1963,” - April 29, 1998
A symposium commemorating the dramatic events surrounding the struggle for civil rights in 1963, featuring panels discussions among members of President Kennedy’s administration and key players and activists who participated in such historic events as the demonstrations in Birmingham, the integration of the University of Alabama, the drafting of the Civil Rights Act, and the March on Washington. Participants include James Farmer, Burke Marshall, Ted Sorensen, Nick Katzenbach, Tony Lewis, Jack Greenberg, Vivian Malone, Julian Bond, Myrlie Evers-Williams and John Lewis.
Civil Rights Film Series: Facing a Moral Crisis — The Struggle for Civil Rights in America.
The John F. Kennedy Library and Museum will present free screenings of a series of films which chronicle the civil rights movement in America. The films, taken from the Library’s extensive audio-visual archives, include rarely seen television coverage and footage of some of the most dramatic events of the early 1960s, including news coverage on the assassination of Medgar Evers; the integration of the Universities of Mississippi and Alabama; the March on Washington; the civil rights demonstrations in Birmingham, Alabama; and President Kennedy's televised address to the nation on June 11, 1963. The films will run continuously throughout the day on January 19, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, and every week-end from January 31 through March 1, starting at 11:30 am. They will also be screened daily throughout the school vacation week of February 16-20. For more information, call (617) 514-1678.
Children’s Programming
During Black History Month, and as part of its special programming for children during the school vacation week of February 16-20, the Kennedy Library will host “Celebrate! Black History and Culture.” The week-long series of performances for children aged 5 and older will celebrate African and African-American history and culture with some of the country’s most noted storytellers, singers, musicians, artists and dancers. The new program, which seeks to promote a greater awareness of and admiration for America’s rich cultural diversity among children, is in addition to the Library’s regularly scheduled Children’s Hour programs.
All performances beginning at 10:30 a.m. February 16: Janice Allen presents “African-American Music of The Carolina Sea Islands”; February 17: Kathryn Woods presents “A Woman Ain’t I,” a portrayal of Isabella Baumfree, who was born a slave in upstate New York;
February 18: Semenya McCord presents “Journey into Jazz”; February 19: “Art of Black Dance and Music in Concert”; February 20:“Cornell “Sugarfoot” Coley in Performance,”a black dance journey through North, South, and Central America. For more information, call (617) 514-1678.
The Children’s Hour at the John F. Kennedy Library and Museum features some of the country’s most noted storytellers, singers, artists and puppeteers specializing in entertainment for children aged 5 and older. Each Saturday performance begins at 10:30 am. Saturday: January 17, Sumner McClain as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s father “Daddy King”; February 21, the Enchanted Circle Theater presents “Creation Myths From Africa”; March 21, You and Me Puppets present “Hansel and Gretel”; April 18, The Catskill Puppet Theater presents “Sister Rain and Brother Sun.” For more information, call (617) 514-1678
Public Forum Series
Included among these programs will be an ambitious series of forums this spring which will include a look at: “The Impact of Television on the Civil Rights Movement;” “Taylor Branch, author of Pillar of Fire, America in the King Years, 1963-1964;” “Southern Political Leaders and the Civil Rights Movement;” “The Churches as Organizing Institutions in the Civil Rights Movement;” “The Music of the Civil Rights Movement;” “Boston’s Black Community and the Struggle for Civil Rights in the 1960's;” and “Robert Massie, author of Loosing the Bonds - The U.S. and South Africa in the Apartheid Years.” For more information, call (617) 929-4554.