Tagged politics

Let's Talk: Philly D.A.

Philadelphians, we need to talk! Join your neighbors at eight Free Library of Philadelphia libraries between May 23 and June 30th, to watch and discuss individual episodes of the award winning PBS documentary series Philly D.A. . We…

Frenemies: The Strange Friendship of JFK and Richard Nixon

The 1960 presidential campaign was close, hard-fought, and left both sides feeling embittered. Kennedy’s final margin of victory was less than 115,000 votes out of nearly 70 million cast.  Nixon was convinced that the Kennedy…

Trust No One: Joe McCarthy and the Politics of Fear

Lies. Alternative facts. Demonize and Destroy Your Opponents. Does this sound familiar? Former Senator Joseph R. McCarthy (R-Wisconsin) has been dead for 63 years, but the political tools and techniques that he pioneered are as fresh as…

Voting by Mail? Avoid "Naked Ballots"!

Updated Tuesday, October 20, 2020 12:15 p.m. Spanish and Chinese translations have been added to this blog post. In the real world, small technical details count for a lot. How many checks were never cashed because the person who wrote…

Making Her Mark: Philadelphia Women Fight for the Vote Exhibition Opens Fall 2020

As we find ourselves weeks away from Election Day, consider this question:  Who was the first person in your family to vote?  The stories of Philadelphia women who built and sustained movements dedicated to voting rights is…

Defying Putin: The Dangers and Opportunities in Opposing Russia’s President

Bad things happen to people that Russia’s President, Vladimir Putin, dislikes. Currently, Aleksi Navalny, the most important leader of Russia’s opposition, lies in a German hospital bed struggling to recover from a cup of…

The Picture of Health: The Strange Case of John F. Kennedy

During the critical first presidential debate in 1960, the difference in the physical appearance of the two candidates could not have been sharper. Vice President Richard Nixon looked like a man who belonged in a hospital. The…

A Dying Man Runs for President

If ever a man simply wore himself out while serving his country, Franklin D. Roosevelt is his name. First elected during the depths of the Great Depression in 1932, he was still on the job twelve years later in the midst of World War…

President Eisenhower, Senator McCarthy, and "The Junketeering Gumshoes"

During the years that Dwight Eisenhower served as Supreme Allied Commander in Europe, he had to contend with some of the most demanding and difficult personalities on two continents.  The shortlist included Franklin D. Roosevelt ,…

Race in the United States: Social Justice Virtual Workshops for Teens

Updated Friday, July 10, 2020 4:59 p.m. "The Social Justice Symposium Teen Planning Committee supports the Concerned Black Workers of the Free Library of Philadelphia ! CBWFLP Response to DEI/Board of Trustees' letter We are…

"I Voted" Stickers from Our Special Collections

It's Primary Election Day in Philadelphia! If you've signed up in Pennsylvania to vote by mail , you should have already received your ballot with its easy-to-follow instructions, enclosure envelope, and mailing envelope. The…

Women of the World, Unite!

"Women of the world, unite. You have nothing to lose but your chains!" You’ve probably heard a slightly different version of this quote (or, to be fair, misquote ) from Karl Marx’s Communist Manifesto , the…

Get Your Trusted 2020 Presidential Election News from the Free Library

Super Tuesday is now behind us. The 11th debate of the Democratic presidential primary is on the horizon. Candidates are dropping out of the race left and right, but it’s still anybody’s game. As the field narrows, how can…

Women's History Month 2020: Stories We Know, Stories We'll Discover

"Even if I believed that women should be denied the right of suffrage, wild horses could not drag such an admission from my pen or my lips, for this reason: precisely the same arguments used to prove that the ballot be withheld…

MLK Day of Service | When the Youth Lead

Martin Luther King Jr. Day is a strongly celebrated day in Philadelphia. People of all ages come together to support their communities and uplift the values of MLK’s civil rights leadership during this nationally recognized Day of…

Election Day is Tuesday, November 5

Election Day is Tuesday, November 5 throughout the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. During this general election, Philadelphians will elect a Mayor, 10 District Council and Seven Council at-Large members, as well as Judges, City…

New Voting Machine Demonstrations at a Neighborhood Library Near You!

Whether you've voted or not in the past few years for national or local elections, you may or may not know that voting security has become an ever-increasing concern. A bipartisan report by the Senate Intelligence Committee released…

How to Vote in the Primary Election on Tuesday, May 21

Philadelphians: it’s time to make your voting plans for the 2019 Pennsylvania primary election, which will be held this coming Tuesday, May 21! The Free Library is here to help you vote, in more ways than one. Here’s an…

First Ladies, In Their Own Words

The position of First Lady is a unique one in American government. It’s not a democratically elected position, but the office holds a great deal of cultural clout, and the women who occupied it have been deemed significant enough…

Plan for the Polls: No Excuses!

With the launch of our Division of Cultural and Civic Engagement (DCCE), the Free Library is committed, more than ever, to getting Philadelphians involved in what’s happening in their neighborhoods and communities, as well as the…

How to Decide to Act on Climate

The climate is in crisis; it's time to act; but it's hard to find time, energy, emotional resources, and people to act with. This interactive workshop explores useful strategies for getting started and for helping other people…

Military History Club: Conflicts in the Middle East - The Civil War in Syria

Join our monthly discussion group! We are continuing a discussion series centered on military conflicts. This month, participate in a thoughtful, guided discussion of the Civil War in Syria.  Group meets 11 AM to 12:30 PM in the…

Owning and Owned: Freedom for Whom?

Join the Free Library of Philadelphia's Education, Philosophy, and Religion Department for a talk with Andrew Lamas (University of Pennsylvania) about owning and ownership through the lens of Philadelphia's urban landscape.…

American Presidency

The 2016 American Presidency Series will blend education and entertainment for the whole family, offering lectures and analysis about the presidency and leadership along with enriching programs for children in our neighborhood libraries.…

Presidents of the United States

Under the United States Constitution, the President of the United States is the head of state and head of government of the United States. As chief of the executive branch and face of the federal government as a whole, the presidency is…

U.S. Elections and Politics

The United States midterm general election will be held on Tuesday, November 6, 2018. In Pennsylvania, the ballot includes candidates for Governor, Lt. Governor, U.S. Senate, U.S. House of Representatives, the Pennsylvania State Senate,…

NewsBank Hot Topics

Trending news and hot topics for your next assignment! Hot topics covers Current Events, Business & Economics, Civics, Government, & Politics, Social Issues, Science, Technology & Health, Sports, Arts & Literature, and People in the News.

Gale OneFile | High School Edition (formerly InfoTrac Student Edition) *

High school students will have access to age-appropriate content from magazines, journals, newspapers, reference books, and engaging multi-media covering a wide range of subjects, from science, history, and literature to political…

Wesley Lowery | American Whitelash: A Changing Nation and the Cost of Progress

In conversation with award-winning journalist and broadcaster Tracey Matisak In  American Whitelash ,  Wesley Lowery  examines the cyclical pattern of violence that marks each watershed moment of racial progress in this country, most…

Blair LM Kelley | Black Folk: The Roots of the Black Working Class

In conversation with Marc Lamont Hill Referred to by acclaimed author and academic Michael Eric Dyson as “one of the most important works of history to come across my desk in a long time,” Blair LM Kelley’s Black Folk: The Roots of the…

Kristen R. Ghodsee | Everyday Utopia: What 2,000 Years of Wild Experiments Can Teach Us

In conversation with Arwa Mahdawi Referred to by bestsstelling author Rebecca Traister as “exhilarating, good humored, and forward looking,”  Kristen R. Ghodsee ’s  Everyday Utopia  is a two-millennia examination of diverse…

Linda Villarosa | Under the Skin: The Hidden Toll of Racism on American Lives and on the Health of Our Nation

A contributing writer at  The New York Times Magazine  and The 1619 Project, Linda Villarosa has won numerous awards for articles concerning issues of Black mother and infant health, medical myths, America’s hidden HIV epidemic,…

Brett H. Mandel | Philadelphia, Corrupt and Consenting: A City’s Struggle against an Epithet

In conversation with Ernest Owens A consultant and writer in the fields of civic activism and government reform,  Brett H. Mandel  served as director of Philadelphia’s Financial & Policy Analysis Unit in the city controller’s office,…

Sarah Bakewell | Humanly Possible: Seven Hundred Years of Humanist Freethinking, Inquiry, and Hope

In conversation with Eric Banks Acclaimed for “wonderfully readable” fusions of “biography, philosophy, history, cultural analysis and personal reflection” ( The Independent ), Sarah Bakewell is the author of At the Existentialist Café…

Camille Dungy | Soil: The Story of a Black Mother’s Garden

In conversation with Abra Lee Camille T. Dungy  is the author of  Guidebook to Relative Strangers: Journeys into Race, Motherhood, and History , a debut personal essay collection that was nominated for the National Book Critics Circle…

Chad L. Williams | The Wounded World: W. E. B. Du Bois and the First World War

In conversation with Mia Bay Chad L. Williams is the author of Torchbearers of Democracy: African American Soldiers in the World War I Era , winner of the Liberty Legacy Foundation Award from the Organization of American Historians. The…

Mary Louise Kelly | It. Goes. So. Fast.: The Year of No Do-Overs

In conversation with award-winning journalist and broadcaster Tracey Matisak Barbara Gohn Day Memorial Lecture An NPR reporter for more than two decades, Mary Louise Kelly currently co-hosts the network’s flagship program  All Things…

Mark Bowden | Life Sentence: The Brief and Tragic Career of Baltimore’s Deadliest Gang Leader

In conversation with Bill Marimow Renowned for his “signature blend of deep reportage and character-driven storytelling ( The New York Times Book Review ),” Mark Bowden is a former national correspondent for The Atlantic and a former…

Angela Saini | The Patriarchs: The Origins of Inequality

Angela Saini is the author of Superior , an “easy-to-read blend of science reporting, cultural criticism, and personal reflection” ( Slate ) that explores the resurgence of the harmful and faulty study of race science. She is also the…

Judith Lewis Herman, M.D. | Truth and Repair: How Trauma Survivors Envision Justice

In conversation with Bessel van der Kolk, M.D.  Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation Endowed Lecture A professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School for more than 40 years,  Judith Lewis Herman , M.D., is one of the United States’…

Heather McGhee | The Sum of Us (Adapted for Young Readers): How Racism Hurts Everyone

Sandra Shaber Memorial Lecture In conversation with award-winning journalist and broadcaster Tracey Matisak The Sum of Us , Heather McGhee’s 2021 odyssey across the American landscape of inequality, won wide acclaim for its empathetic…

Sigal R. Ben-Porath | Cancel Wars: How Universities Can Foster Free Speech, Promote Inclusion, and Renew Democracy

A professor of education, philosophy, and political science at the University of Pennsylvania, Sigal R. Ben-Porath is the co-author of  Making Up Our Mind: What School Choice Is Really About, and is the author of  Free Speech on…

Neal Gabler | Against The Wind: Edward Kennedy and the Rise of Conservatism, 1976-2009 with Patrick Kennedy

In conversation with former congressman Patrick Kennedy Neal Gabler is the author of Catching the Wind: Edward Kennedy and the Liberal Hour , a “rich and insightful” ( The New York Times ) account of the figure known as the most complex…

Kerri K. Greenidge | The Grimkes: The Legacy of Slavery in an American Family

In conversation with Tamala Edwards, anchor, 6ABC Action News morning edition Historian Kerri K. Greenidge is the author of  Black Radical: The Life and Times of William Monroe Trotter , a portrait of the post-Reconstruction civil…

George Lakey | Dancing With History: A Life for Peace and Justice

In conversation with Varshini Prakash Active in grassroot campaigns for social change for more than seven decades, sociologist and Quaker organizer George Lakey was first arrested at a civil rights demonstration in 1963 and most…

Andrew K. Diemer | Vigilance: The Life of William Still, Father of the Underground Railroad

Andrew K. Diemer is the author of  The Politics of Black Citizenship: Free African Americans in the Mid-Atlantic Borderland, 1817–1863 , an examination of the ways in which free Black Philadelphians and Baltimoreans fought to defend…

Anand Giridharadas | The Persuaders: At the Front Lines of the Fight for Hearts, Minds, and Democracy

Ellis Wachs Endowed Lecture In conversation with Tamala Edwards, anchor, 6ABC Action News morning edition A former longtime columnist and foreign correspondent for  The New York Times , Anand Giridharadas is the bestselling author of …

Stacy Schiff | The Revolutionary: Samuel Adams

In conversation with award-winning journalist and broadcaster Tracey Matisak Acclaimed for her “balanced, perceptive, thoroughly researched and exceptionally well written” ( The New Yorker ) nonfiction portraits of historical figures,…

American Presidency Series

Join the Free Library for a series of compelling provocative programs that examine the untold stories of, unconventional approaches to, and contemporary concerns about the world's most difficult job. The 2016 American Presidency Series…