Forum Events
YDF offers a range of programming to the wider York community. Some programs are produced and sponsored totally by YDF. We also build programs in coordination with organizations with similar interests, and from time to time we hear about an upcoming program by another group that fits the objectives of our mission and offer to be a co-sponsor.
Most of our events for the general public are held between September and June. During the busy summer tourist season, the focus of our efforts is on our Seasonal Worker Program. Check back with us or follow us on Facebook to get information on upcoming events as they are added to the calendar.
Upcoming Events
Votes for Women: A Celebration of Our Heroines
"When in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one portion of the family of man to assume among the people of the earth a position different from that they have hitherto occupied.. We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men and women are created equal.." [Be it] “Resolved: That it is the duty of the women of this country to secure to themselves their sacred right to the elective franchise.” (Elizabeth Cady Stanton, 1848)
In 1894, Susan B Anthony predicted that once won, “everybody will think it was always so...They have no idea of how every single inch of ground that she stands upon today has been gained by the hard work of some little handful of women of the past.”
The road to ratification was fraught with obstacles. It took seven decades to win ratification of the 19th Amendment, which prohibits states from denying women the right to vote.
The 100th Anniversary is the perfect time to memorialize the path to women’s suffrage. York Diversity Forum is pleased to present “Votes for Women,” a multimedia series looking at the struggles, triumphs, and heroines that led to securing women the right to vote.
Votes for Women — Series Calendar
Sunday, Nov. 10, 2019,“Votes for Women” A Celebration of Our Heroines
promote the opening event outside
York Town Hall. November 2019
Community members read the compelling words of Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B Anthony and other lesser known activists. Troubadour, Joyce Andersen, performed and there were tea sandwiches and a specially-made centennial cake.
Related Information
Event Flyer Press Release Event Program
Script of Voices of Our Heroines (November 2019 event) You are free to use this script with your groups with our complements.
Media
News Article: Celebrating Womens Suffrage, Seacoastonline.com
The Observer: Celebrating 100 years of womens suffrage, York Weekly
2020 Events
All Events below are at the York Public Library (YPL) Unless Otherwise Noted.Events are free and open to the public. Refreshments Served.
Saturday, January 4
Talk: "Voting Down the Rose: Florence Brooks Whitehouse and Maine’s Fight for Woman Suffrage."
Florence Brooks Whitehouse was a novelist, painter, vocalist, and mother of three sons when she first joined the suffrage movement in 1914. This talk explores Florence’s life up to 1914 and her leadership in moving suffrage forward in Maine, joining forces with national leader Alice Paul in a desperate, last-ditch effort to ensure that the Maine legislature ratified the 19th Amendment that would give women voting rights. Slides of historic photos accompany this lively talk, which lasts about 40 minutes, followed by a Q&A and book signings. Event speaker, Anne B. Gass, is Whitehouse's great-granddaughter.
Related Information
Press release:A Maine woman’s fight for women’s suffrage, Seacoastonline.
Event Flyer (pdf for printing)
"Voting Down the Rose" by Anne B Gass, Amazon.
Sunday, Feb. 9, 2020
(Carrie Chapman Catt), and Hilary Swank (Alice Paul)
in Iron Jawed Angels. HBO Films, 2004.
Film: “Iron Jawed Angels”
Fiery American suffragist Alice Paul lights a fire under the older women's leaders in Washington DC. President Wilson refuses to give all women the vote, but Paul is prepared to go to prison for her cause.
This HBO original movie was inspired by a pivotal chapter in American history. Hilary Swank plays Alice Paul, an American feminist who risked her life to fight for women's citizenship and the right to vote. She founded the separatist National Woman's Party and wrote the first equal rights amendment to be presented before Congress. Not Rated. Suggested: PG-13. FMI: Rotten Tomatoes.
Related Information
Press Release: York Diversity Forum to screen ‘Iron Jawed Angels’, Seacoastonline.
Event Flyer (pdf for printing/emailing)
Ways to Watch: Movie is available for purchase on DVD at Amazon and for streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
Also recommended: Suffragette, a powerful drama about women willing to lose everything in their fight for equality in the UK. Available on Amazon Video (to rent/buy) and streaming on Netflix.
As we are all so acutely aware, there is little one can consider usual during this coronavirus pandemic. We were very disappointed to have had to adjust our events planned for this spring due to stay in place requirements. More information below.
(TBD: Postponed due to COVID-19 restrictions. Trying to arrange Zoom session.)
Talk: "Lifting as We Climb: African American Women and the Fight for Suffrage in the Nineteenth-Century Northeast."
Dr. Kabria Baumgartner, will discuss the history of African American Women's Suffrage, highlighting how the Women's Suffrage movement often excluded and undercut the voices of black and brown people. When its history was written, they rendered women of color, and their important and significant contributions to the fight for equality, invisible.
The talk will recognize the work of lesser known female suffragists of color such as Mary Church Terrell, Frances Ellen Watkins Harper, Sarah Parker Remond, and others. The work of these women of color is evident today in the historic representation by a diverse group of women in Congress. But it’s clear there’s much more work ahead. Q&A Follows.
Related Information
Event Flyer (pdf format)
Book Discussion Rescheduled to Saturday, June 20 at 11 am
Originally scheduled for April 2020, this book discussion took place as a Zoom event in June. We highly recommend the book for anyone looking to learn more on the topic of Woman's Suffrage.
Book Discussion-York Reads: “The Woman’s Hour,” by Elaine Weiss.
On Saturday, June 20, at 11 a.m., historian Julie Weiss led a discussion of "The Woman's Hour", by Elaine Weiss. The book tells the riveting story of the last six weeks of the fight for women's right to vote leading to the passage of the 19th Amendment. The story is intertwined with highlights of the 70 year fight, a monumental struggle with themes of money, power, race, and gender. The women involved in this fight were extraordinary. Brave and determined, they often risked their lives for the cause, and they changed the course of American history.
The discussion leader was Julie Weiss. Ms. Weiss is an historian, writer, and educational consultant. She has led several of our book discussions including in the “Exploring the Complexity of Racism” series.
Related Information
View Reviews and Book Sources
An interview with author Elaine Weiss on PBS Books.
"A century after the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment, it’s worth remembering why suffragists had to fight so hard, and who was fighting against them." — The New Yorker.
(Postponed due to COVID-19 restrictions.)
©Robert Shetterly: Americans
Who Tell The Truth
May 2020 Artist Reception and Presentation with American artist Robert Shetterly has been postponed. An associated display of Shetterly portraits of suffragists and modern-day women's rights activists scheduled throughout May and June at the York Public Library has been cancelled.
In honor of the 100th anniversary of the passage of Women's Suffrage, Robert Shetterly, artist of the Americans Who Tell the Truth portrait project, will discuss the struggle of women for political equality and power in this country. He will tell the stories of some of the women's rights activists he has painted, and about the continuing issues around sexism, patriarchy, economic security, and abuse still facing women.
©Robert Shetterly/Americans
Who Tell The Truth
The Portraits: Portraits of suffragists and modern-day women's rights activists, painted by Shetterly, were to be shown as part of talk. Portraits include Susan B Anthony, Sojourner Truth, Alice Paul, Harriet Tubman, Frederick Douglas, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Ida B Wells, Emma Goldman, Shirley Chisholm, Pauli Murray, Alice Walker, and Jeanette Rankin.
Related Information
For more information on the artist and to view his full portrait collection go to: www.americanswhotellthetruth.org
Bookmark this page for the latest updates and details on upcoming events. [CTL+D]
topPast Events
2019
Martin Luther King and Black History Month Events
"Exploring the Complexity of Racism"
Book and Film Series
(See Ongoing Series Event Details Below for additional events in this series.)
Jan. 12, 10:30 am — Book: Colson Whitehead: Underground Railroad - an old story told in a new way; discussion led by Kim Kelsey
Feb. 3, 3 pm (rescheduled from Jan. 20) — Film: King in the Wilderness - A look at the final months in the life of Martin Luther King, Jr. Rated TV-13 Synopsis on HBO.com, Event Flyer, Media: 'Powerful' film on MLK part of race discussion series", Seacoast Online. Documentary gives in-depth look at Martin Luther King Jr., Seacoast Online.
King in the Wilderness" is a 2018 documentary film, looking at the last 18 months in the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., a champion of the Civil Rights Movement. This outstanding film premiered so recently that it is not yet generally available. Directed by Peter Kunhardt with music composed by York native Saul Simon MacWilliams, who was able to obtain permission to show it here. The film is a tribute to Dr. King and to Black History Month. This book and film series is made possible by the Maine Humanities Council, the York Diversity Forum, United Methodist Church of York-Ogunquit, and the York Public Library.
February thru March - Featured Artists at York Public Library
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GUINEA To GREAT BAY
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Related Information
Event Flyer
Diversity Forum Celebrates Black History Month (Press Release)
2018-2019 Book and Film Series: "Exploring the Complexity of Racism"
"Exploring the Complexity of Racism"
A Book and Film Series
Sponsored by The York Public Library, United Methodist Church of York-Ogunquit and York Diversity Forum These events are made possible by a grant from the Maine Humanities Council
Program Dates and Content
2018
Oct. 20 - Book: James Baldwin: The Fire Next Time - consequences of racial injustice; discussion led by Ron McAllister
Nov. 17 - Book: Harriet Wilson: Our Nig, Sketches from the Life of a Free Black - autobiography of a Black woman in antebellum north; discussion led by Susan Yorston
Dec. 16 – Film: Hidden Figures - The story of a team of female African-American mathematicians who served a vital role in NASA during the early years of the U.S. space program. Rated PG
2019
Jan. 12, 10:30 am- Book: Colson Whitehead: Underground Railroad - an old story told in a new way; discussion led by Kim Kelsey
Feb. 3, 3 pm (rescheduled from Jan. 20) – Film: King in the Wilderness - A look at the final months in the life of Martin Luther King, Jr. Rated TV-13, 1hr 52min (See details and other resources above.)
Feb. 9, 10:30 am - Book: Gilbert King: Devil in the Grove - a criminal defense led by Thurgood Marshall, discussion led by Julie Weiss
Feb. 24, 3pm – Film: Malcolm X - Biographical epic of the controversial and influential Black Nationalist leader, from his early life and career as a small-time gangster, to his ministry as a member of the Nation of Islam. Rated PG-13
Mar. 16, 10:30 am - Book: Octavia Butler: Kindred - love, hate, slavery, racial dilemmas; discussion led by Cheryl Townsend Gilkes. Also suitable for young adults
Mar. 24, 3pm – Film: Black Panther - T'Challa, heir to the hidden but advanced kingdom of Wakanda, must step forward to lead his people into a new future and must confront a challenger from his country's past. Rated PG-13
Apr. 13, 10:30 am - Book: Walter Johnson: Soul by Soul - evils of the New Orleans slave market; discussion led by Barbara Chase
Apr. 28, 3pm– Film: Black KkKlansman - Ron Stallworth, an African American police officer from Colorado Springs, CO, successfully manages to infiltrate the local Ku Klux Klan branch with the help of a Jewish surrogate who eventually becomes its leader. Based on actual events. Rated R
May 18, 10:30 am - Book: W.E.B. Du Bois: The Souls of Black Folk - a classic; discussion led by Cheryl Townsend Gilkes
June 15, 10:30 am - Book: Isabel Wilkerson: The Warmth of Other Suns - the epic sweep of Black migration; discussion led by Julie Weiss
Related Information
Program Brochure (Updated) (pdf)
October and November 2018 Flyer
February 2019 Book and Film Flyer
Book Discussion Facilitors
Additional Reading List
Media
'Powerful' film on MLK part of race discussion series", Seacoast Online.
2018
October 25, 2018 PICTURING OPIOID ADDICTION AND THE HOPE OF RECOVERY IN YORK
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WHEN October 25, 2018 6 pm - 7:30 pm light refreshments WHERE St. George's Episcopal Church 407 York Street York Harbor, ME 03909 |
Come Hear: A panel of experts on substance misuse and opioid use disorder will talk about the challenges, the solutions and what new resources we have in our community.
Come Discuss: What are our roles in supporting recovery?
SPEAKERS:
DR. CHRISTINE MUNROE, RECOVERY CENTER AT YORK HOSPITAL
ERIC HARAM, RECOVERY CENTER AT YORK HOSPITAL
SHANNON FISHER, PORTLAND RECOVERY CENTER
DET. MARK CLIFFORD, YORK POLICE DEPARTMENT
SPONSORS:
York Diversity Forum
Recovery Center at York Hospital
Choose To Be Healthy Coalition
York Police
St. George's Episcopal Church
FMI, Pat Conner at 650-4903
No RSVP required
Related Information
Media Coverage
Post-Event Article: It Happens Right Here in York by By Justin Frecker, Seacoast Online, October 30, 2018
March 29, 2018 Housing and Hunger: York's Invisible Dilemma
Housing and Hunger:
York’s Invisible Dilemma
Reality in an "Affluent" Community
Please join us for an
Interactive Conversation
and Informative Panel Presentation
WITH
Michelle Surdoval
Executive Director, York Community Services Association
Patricia Martine
Executive Director,
York Housing
Ruth Fatscher
Co-Chair, End 68 Hours of Hunger
Pat Conner,
Facilitator
MARCH 29, 2018
7:00 pm - 8:30 pm
York Public Library
15 Long Sands Rd, York, ME 03909
View Event Video
Related Information
Links
York Community Services Association
York Housing
End 68 Hours of HungerFlyer
Event Flyer (pdf for sharing)
January 28, 2018 "Tell Me the Truth"
2017
September 2017: "Interfaith Program Series - Three Events"
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The York Diversity Forum is pleased to announce a series of three Interfaith Programs in collaboration with First Parish Church in York. The program's goal is to build community and increase understanding across a wide variety of religious and spiritual identities. It aspires to foster a safe space for respectful dialogue, diverse thought, curiosity, and generous listening. These will be held on Thursdays Sept 7th, 14th, 28th, 7 PM at Fellowship Hall, First Parish Church, 180 York Street, York. All are invited to attend one or all of the events below.
Sept. 7: Islam, Judaism and Christianity:
Distinct Voices, Common Ground
Thursday, Sept. 7 @ 7 pm
Fellowship Hall, First Parish Congregational Church
180 York St. York, Maine
The first event features a speaker from each of the three major monotheistic faiths moderated by the Rev. Anna V. Copeland, Senior Pastor at the First Parish Congregational Church in York. The panel will include retired Rabbi William Leffler and Imam Mohamed Ibrahim from the Islamic Society of the Seacoast Area in Dover, New Hampshire.
Sept. 14: How does your Faith Tradition
respond to Environmental Issues?
Thursday, Sept. 14 @ 7 pm
Fellowship Hall, First Parish Congregational Church
180 York St. York, Maine
What does your Faith Tradition teach us about respect and reverence for our shared home? This forum will be moderated by York Middle School science teacher Jeff Wilford. Participants will include Al Lincoln of the Green Acre Baha'i School in Eliot, First Parish Pastor Dan Hollis, Professor Daniel Sheridan of St. Joseph's College, representing the Catholic faith, and Father Robert Archon of St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.
Full Session II Event Program
Related Environmental Resources List
Sept. 28: What is the role of your
Faith Tradition in Peacemaking?
Thursday, Sept. 28 @ 7 pm
Fellowship Hall, First Parish Congregational Church
180 York St. York, Maine
In the final event of our series, retired professor of peace and conflict studies Ron McAllister will lead a panel discussion on peacemaking with panelists including Rev. Calvin Sanborn of St. George's Episcopal Church, Rev. Effie McAvoy of York-Ogunquit United Methodist Church, Chuck Cox of the Dover Friends Meeting in Dover, Rev. Lauren Smith of South Church Unitarian-Universalist in Portsmouth and Native American elder Auntie Crow of the Cheyenne Nation.
Full Session III Program
Related Peacemaking Resources
Media Coverage of Series
Intro: Newspaper Article: "Interfaith Forums Begin Important Dialogue", by Deborah McDermott, Seacoast Online, Aug. 30, 2017.
Session I: Newspaper Article: "Silence is acquiesence", by Deborah McDermott, Seacoast Online, Sept. 12, 2017.
Session II: Newspaper Article: "This crisis ignores borders, generations", by Deborah McDermott, Seacoast Online, Sept. 19, 2017.
Session III: Newspaper Article: "Walk joyfully over the world", by Deborah McDermott, Seacoast Online, Oct. 3, 2017.
April 8, 2017: "Let's Talk: What Divides Us and What Unites Us"
"Let's Talk: What Divides Us and What Unites Us"
Saturday April 8th
8:30 AM to 11:30 AM
Fellowship Hall, First Parish Congregational Church
180 York St. York, Maine
Co-hosted by York Community Dialogue and York
Diversity Forum
Refreshments and childcare will be provided.
All are invited to share their views about our differences, our similarities, and how we can create a welcoming community. This important conversation requires difficult listening and respectful dialogue that can lead us in a positive local and national direction.
Related Information
Bridging the gap: by Deborah McDermott; SeacoastOnline, 3/28/2017.
What divides us? What unites us?: By Ron McAllister 3/28/2017; York Weekly.
Event Flyer, Please share and post with others.Post-Event Report: What Divides Us? What Unites Us? (pdf)
March 18, 2017: Gender Identity: Being Trans
Gender Identity: Being Trans
Saturday, March 18, 3:00 pm
York Library, 15 Long Sands Road, York, ME
Co-sponsored by:
York Diversity Forum & St. George's Episcopal Church
Do we understand what it means to be transgender? Do we know the challenges faced by transgender individuals in our community? Saturday, March 18, the York Diversity Forum and St. George's Episcopal Church are co-sponsoring a discussion with Quinn Gormley, president of MaineTransNet. Quinn will share her knowledge and story as a transgender woman. Join us for this opportunity to learn about gender identity, basic gender terminology, and to ask the questions you've been wanting to ask. Everyone is welcome.
Related Information
Media: The gender revolution is far from over, Ron McAllister, Seacoast Online, 02/08/2017.
Follow Up Article: See me as I want to be seen: Deborah McDermott, SeacoastOnline, 03/21/2017.
Film: "Gender Revolution: A Journey with Katie Couric." You can watch it for free on National Geographic's website. (You will need a cable provider to log into this site.)
Event Flyer (pdf) - you are invited to post.
January 14, 2017: Martin Luther King Day Annual Program
"We are all caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied into a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly." — Martin Luther King, 1967
Create Safe Spaces in Mostly White Places
- Developing tools to combat racism
- Understanding white privilege
- Becoming an effective ally
What is it like to be a person of color in Maine? Is it isolating, lonely, even dangerous? Shay Stewart-Bouley: writer, activist, teacher and resident of Portland, Maine, will talk about her own experience and more at the Forum's annual Martin Luther King event on Jan. 14, 3-5 pm at the York Library.
This program will help us understand racism, it's historical roots as well as how it manifests today. Through small group discussions we will identify white privilege and discover how being white bestows certain social advantages. In addition to a acquiring a deeper understanding of these two social realities, Shay will equip us with tools to help us combat racism in order to increase equality and fairness in our own lives and communities.
Create Safe Spaces in Mostly White Places
Lecture and DiscussionSaturday, Jan. 14, 2017
3 - 5 pm
York Public Library
15 Long Sands Rd
York, ME
All are Welcome
Related Information
Recommended Reading: Waking Up White by Debby Irving
Media: Press Release; Stand Against Hate, York Weekly 1/3/2017
Event Flyer
2016
Fall 2016 Series: Immigration and Refugees Today
"Immigration and Refugees Today" is a series of events which the York Diversity Forum will present over the next year. Upcoming events in this series are detailed below.
Sunday, October 23: Refugees and the Syrian Crisis
York Public Library, Community Room
15 Long Sands Road, York
4-5:30 pm
Refreshments Following
The York Diversity Forum has invited Dr. Omar Salem, Chair of Chicago-based Karam Foundation, to speak about the Syrian crisis on Sunday, October 23, from 4-5:30 at York Public Library. Dr. Salem will offer historical and political perspectives on the conflict. The Karam Foundation provides educational and humanitarian programs for Syrian refugee youth and families and funding for sustainable development by Syrians for Syrians. Join us for a compelling presentation followed by refreshments at the Library, 15 Long Sands Road.
Media Coverage of the Event: York Weekly Oct. 25, 2016 - "the-humanitarian-catastrophe-of-century"
Tuesday, October 11: Refugees in Maine: the Experience and the Facts
Source: ModernFarmer.com
York Public Library, Community Room
15 Long Sands Road, York
3-5 pm
• Interactive exercise to help participants
understand some of the pressures
and difficulties refugees encounter.
• Overview of Refugee Resettlement and
Asylum in Maine, followed by
questions and answers and discussion.
The York Diversity Forum invites the public to attend Refugees in Maine: the Experience and the Facts. The program will be presented by Hamet Ly, Community Integration Liaison at Catholic Charities Maine Refugee and Immigration Services (RIS). Mr. Ly will lead an interactive exercise to help participants understand some of the pressures and difficulties refugees feel and confront while trying to escape war, persecution, torture, and the overall inhumanity of their situations. The exercise will be co-facilitated by people living in Maine who have experienced the refugee/asylum process first-hand. Following the exercise, Mr. Ly, who is a refugee from Mauritania, will give an overview of Refugee Resettlement and Asylum in Maine, followed by questions and answers and discussion.
Read Media Coverage of this Event: York Weekly Oct. 19, 2016 - From flight to asylum: The refugee experience
September 20, 2016
Understanding Policing Today: A Community Conversation
Tuesday, September 20, 7pm
York Public Library
15 Long Sands Road
York
Join York Chief Doug Bracy and local law enforcement officers discussing important topics — screening and training, profiling, and local crime issues — as they work to keep our community safe. Come with your questions and concerns for an open community discussion.
Read Media Coverage of this Event: York Weekly 9/20/2016
Film: Sunday, January 17, 2016
"The Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975"
"The Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975"
Martin Luther King Day movie event
Sunday, January 17, 2016 3-5 PM
York Public Library
Sponsored by the York Diversity
Forum
Göran Hugo Olsson's mixtape documentary is a chronological, musically structured collage tracing the arc of the Black Power movement from its inception during the civil rights era through its dissolution as drugs began to erode black communities in the Seventies, created with rarely seen footage culled from the archives of Swedish Television.
Archival footage of well-known figures like Angela Davis, Stokely Carmichael and Martin Luther King as well as ordinary residents of Harlem, Brooklyn and Oakland, California, provides a rich counter point to America's negative view of the Black Power movement.
Following the film, Julie Weiss, historian and favorite discussant at Diversity Forum events, will lead the discussion.
Related Information
MOVIE REVIEW: 'THE BLACK POWER MIXTAPE 1967-1975', A Tumultuous Time, Captured by Outsiders. New York Times, By A. O. SCOTT
2015
Fall 2015 Film and Discussion Series on Physical Disabilities
The Disabilities Subcommittee of the York Diversity Forum will offer a series of programs focusing on physical disabilities this Fall. We are partnering with the York Middle School and the York Public Library to extend the reach on this important topic and to involve the York community.
Over a year ago, we discovered the book Wonder, a marvelous book about a young boy with facial deformity. It is about physical impairment, bravery, bullying, kindness, and acceptance. Although written for young adults, it has meaning for people of all ages. It lends itself to community and intergenerational dialogue about what it means to exclude and be fearful of those who are different as well as the importance of being inclusive and kind.
With Wonder as the starting point, programs will focus on physical disabilities – the challenges of living with physical impairment and the resources that are available.
Program highlights include:
- Educator Sam Drazin from Vermont who was born with a cranio-facial anomaly similar to the main character in Wonder, telling his story and connecting with the book. Sam has spoken all over the state of Vermont on the subject.
- A panel of individuals with physical disabilities telling their stories.
- A panel of agencies/providers for individuals with physical disabilities.
- Films and book discussions.
The entire eighth grade will be reading the book. Sam Drazin will be in the Middle School for two days in late September, working with the students.
Wonder is York Library’s selection for York Reads! There will be book discussions in the Library as well as in other venues around York. York Hospital will use the book as part of its Literature and Medicine series for employees.
More information can be obtained from the library, where books will be sold for $9 each. www.york.lib.me.us
Calendar of Events in this Series:
Sunday, September 27, 3 PM, Library Film "My Left Foot" starring Oscar winner Daniel Day-Lewis in a realistic biopic of Christy Brown, an author and artist, born with cerebral palsy, who did all his writing and artwork with his left toes. Add to calendar
Tuesday, September 29, 7 PM, Library Bringing Wonder to Life, a talk by Sam Drazin, a teacher and founder of Changing Perspectives, an organization promoting disability awareness. Add to calendar
Tuesday, October 13, 7 PM, Library Do You Wonder About Living with Physical Challenges? a panel of individuals; blind, deaf, M.S. and spinal cord injured, telling their stories and the obstacles they must overcome in day to day living. Add to calendar
Thursday, October 15, 4 PM, Library Wonder, a book discussion led by Kathy Welch, York school counselor for students and adults. Space is limited, please sign up at the Library or call 207-363-2818 to register. Add to calendar
Tuesday, Oct. 20, Senior Center A book discussion of Wonder. All are invited. You do not have to be a member of the Senior Center. Discussant TBA. Add to calendar
Sunday, October 25, 3 PM, Library Film " Children of a Lesser God," based on a hit Broadway play, it stars Oscar winner Marlee Matlin as a headstrong deaf girl who falls in love with her special education teacher played by William Hurt. Add to calendar
Tuesday, October 27, 7 PM, Library Wonder Where You Can Get Help? A panel of service providers for the disabled will discuss where to find help, eligibility requirements, and how the community supports people with disabilities. Add to calendar
Wednesday, Nov 4, 7 PM, Library Book Discussion of Wonder led by Peter Amershadian, retired teacher and world traveler. Students and adults welcome. Space is limited, please sign up at the Library or call 207-363-2818 to register. Add to calendar
Sunday, Nov. 8, 3 PM, Library Film "The Waterdance". Paralyzed in an accident, the writer/director, Neal Jimenez, channels his own experiences and emotions into this film, starring Eric Stoltz and Helen Hunt. Add to calendar
Wonder Series Media Coverage
Diversity Forum will discus disabilities, York Weekly, Oct. 14, 2015
Educator changing the face of disability, by Deborah McDermott, York Weekly, Sept. 30, 2015
Exploring physical disabilities with eyes of wonder, by Deborah McDermott, York Weekly, Sept. 23, 2015
Related Information
View the Wonder Program Flyer. Print for your own use or to post.
Book Sources: York Public Library, Amazon, Barnes & Noble
Internet Movie Database (IMDB) for Movie Details: My Left Foot, Children of a Lesser God, The Waterdance
Film: November 13, 2015
The Penobscot
Ancestral River, Contested Territory
DATE: Friday, November 13
TIME: 7 PM
PLACE: York Public Library
SPONSORS: York Diversity Forum and 350 Maine York Region
The Penobscot: Ancestral River, Contested Territory is a documentary film that explores the conflict between the state of Maine and the Penobscot Nation over contested river territory.
Spanning from the 1700's to the present-day legal battle of Penobscot Nation v. Mills, the film illustrates the Penobscots' centuries-long fight to retain their territory and their inherent, treaty-reserved sustenance fishing rights. Featuring first-person accounts, the film tells the urgent, inspiring story of a struggle for justice and cultural survival.
Film length – 44 minutes.
Discussion Leader: Sherri Mitchell, Executive Director of the Land Peace Foundation, an organization dedicated to the protection of Indigenous rights and the preservation of the Indigenous way of life.
Sherri Mitchell Bio
Related Information
Film website: SunlightMediaCollective.org
Learn More about 350 Maine: 350 Maine York Region
Google Search Issues Involved: Penobscot Fishing Rights
2015 Zinn Study Group (Completed)
A Peoples History of The United States
by Howard Zinn
DATE: The 3rd Thursday of the month
through December 2015
TIME: 4:00 – 5:30 pm
LOCATION: York Public Library
15 Long Sands Road, York ME
This resource provides a more nuanced account of our country's history, an alternative view than most were taught in school. The discussion will continue on the 3rd Thursday of each month through December.
To register or for more information, contact Susan Glick: susanhglick@gmail.com