Chattahoochee Valley Libraries : Building Common Ground: Race, Religion and Politics in Columbus

"My civility requires my silence."

"If my religion is the true religion, what does that make yours?"

"I am more American than you."

As an election year, 2012 promises conversation... and controversy. Heated rhetoric is already flourishing - just check out the comments on any blog post or web site that dares mention a candidate's name. Attempts at real conversation, seeking real answers, is quickly shouted down by anonymous polemicists. Those running for political office, instead of seeking interaction, now stage photo opportunities with only their supporters present or only make appearances on "friendly" media programs.

Doesn't democracy require more from us?

In an attempt to find new opportunities for civil discourse, the Chattahoochee Valley Libraries, in cooperation with Midtown, Incorporated, is pleased to present a year-long lecture and book discussion series entitled "Building Common Ground: Race, Religion and Politics in Columbus."

This series, which is also sponsored by the Muscogee County Friends of Libraries, will present three nationally-known authors whose books explore the difficulties of race, religion and political discourse in both our community and our country. As a part of the series book discussion groups and additional program will highlight and complement the author's appearance in Columbus.

All events will be free and open to the public (please see note about free Preferred Seating Tickets for the Michele Norris event).

MICHELE NORRIS

"THEM"-OGRAPHICS: COMMUNITY AND RACE
Book: The Grace of Silence: A Memoir by Michele Norris
Pre-event Book Discussion:
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
7:00pm, Columbus Public Library Meeting Room A
(Author will not be present.)
Author Appearance:
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
7:00pm, Columbus Museum, 1251 Wynnton Road
Reception with the author and book signing to follow. Books will be available for purchase at the event.

Michele Norris-well-known co-host of National Public Radio's All Things Considered-has achieved international recognition for her work as a journalist, including Emmy and Peabody Awards for her contributions to ABC News' coverage of 9/11; four Pulitzer Prize nominations, and the National Association of Black Journalists' 2009 Journalist of the Year Award.< >< >< >< ><-->

In her first book, The Grace of Silence, Michele Norris examines with candor her family's own complex and painful racial legacy, and discovered how her character was forged by both revelation and silence. The book is informed by painstaking research, scores of interviews with ordinary people, and wise observations about evolving attitudes-encouraging and disturbing-toward race in America today.

"Michele Norris takes us on a riveting personal journey from north to south and back again through the tangled landscape of race in America - and teaches anew about the pain and possibilities of our past and future." - Tom Brokaw

Biography

PREFERRED SEATING FOR MS. NORRIS APPEARANCE - Free tickets for preferred seating for Ms. Norris' appearance at the Columbus Museum will be available starting February 1st at any branch of the Chattahoochee Valley Libraries. Tickets will also be available at the offices of Midtown, Incorporated.

Groups of 10 or more interested in attending should contact Henry McCoy at 706-243-2689 or via e-mail at hmccoy@cvrls.net.

STEPHEN PROTHERO

MANY FAITHS, ONE COMMUNITY: COMPASSION AND RELIGION
Book: God is Not One: The Eight Rival Religions that Run the World and Why Their Differences Matter by Stephen Prothero
Author Appearance:
Monday, April 23, 2012
7:00pm, Columbus Public Library Auditorium
Reception with the author and book signing to follow. Books will be available for purchase at the event.

Stephen Prothero has quickly become one of America's Go-To experts on religion in society. He has been quoted and featured on every major network and his work has been featured on the cover of Time magazine. He's become equally famous for his work as a featured guest on The Oprah Winfrey Show, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and as a legendary foil to Stephen Colbert on The Colbert Report.

In God Is Not One, Dr. Prothero dissects the core beliefs of the world's eight major religions. In doing so, he hopes to highlight the differences between each and use these differences as a basis for intercultural understanding. It is a radical departure from traditional interfaith dialogue provides a totally new context for understanding religion in the twenty-first century.

Biography

JONATHAN HAIDT

CIVILITY AND POLITICS
Book: The Righteous Mind: Why Good People are Divided by Politics and Religion by Jonathan Haidt
Author Appearance:
Thursday, October 4, 2012
7:00pm, Columbus Public Library Auditorium
Reception with the author and book signing to follow. Books will be available for purchase at the event.

Jonathan Haidt, moral psychologist and author of "The Happiness Hypothesis," has dived headfirst into the cultural and political wars in America for his latest book The Righteous Mind. Slated to be published this March, Dr. Haidt's newest work has already garnered advanced acclaim from researchers, politicians and social critics alike.

The Righteous Mind seeks to answer one simple question - why can't we get along? Using a wealth of research (but written with the general public in mind), Dr. Haidt plumbs the fields of history, philosophy and biology to show the root causes of our most basic disagreements. His presentation will offer incredible perspective on the political "show" that will be occurring during this time before our country's Presidential election.

"Jonathan Haidt is one of the smartest and most creative psychologists alive, and his newest book is a tour de force-a brave, brilliant, and eloquent exploration of the most important issues of our time. It will challenge the way you think about liberals and conservatives, atheism and religion, good and evil. This is the book that everyone will be talking about."-Paul Bloom, Yale University, author of How Pleasure Works.

Biography