FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. – The Smithsonian traveling exhibit “Voices and Votes: Democracy in America” is coming to Headquarters Library July 18, and will remain on display in the Pate Room through Sept. 2. The Cumberland County Public Library is one of six North Carolina sites chosen by North Carolina Humanities to host “Voices and Votes” as part of the Museum on Main Street program.
The exhibition examines the nearly 250-year-old American experiment of a government “of, by and for the people,” and the ways each generation since continues to question how to form “a more perfect union.” “Voices and Votes” explores the action, reaction, vision and revision that democracy demands as Americans continue to question how to shape the country. From the revolution and suffrage to civil rights and casting ballots, everyone in every community is part of the ever-evolving story of democracy in America.
Exhibition sections explore the origins of American democracy, the struggles to obtain and keep the vote, the machinery of democracy, the right to petition and protest beyond the ballot and the rights and responsibilities of citizens. “Voices and Votes” features historical and contemporary photos; educational and archival video; engaging multimedia interactives with short games; and historical objects like campaign souvenirs, voter memorabilia and protest material.
The Pate Room is located on the first floor of Headquarters Library, located at 300 Maiden Lane in downtown Fayetteville. The library will also have free programs and exhibits including:
The exhibit “Voices and Votes: Democracy in America” is part of Museum on Main Street, a collaboration between the Smithsonian Institution and State Humanities Councils nationwide. “Voices and Votes” is based on an exhibition currently on display at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History called American Democracy: A Great Leap of Faith. The Cumberland County Public Library wishes to thank North Carolina Humanities, the National Endowment for the Humanities, Our State Magazine, and the National Humanities Center, along with our program partners, the Fayetteville History Museum and Fayetteville State University for their support of this exhibition.
For more information, please visit https://www.cumberlandcountync.gov/departments/library-group/library. For more information about the Summer Reading Challenge, visit https://bit.ly/ccplncsrp or call 910-483-7727. Learn more about the free programs offered by Cumberland County Public Library at cumberlandcountync.gov/library.