A Free Press: Cornerstone of Democracy with Gail Rhodes

Sedona Public Library in the Village, Si Birch Community Room 25 West Saddlehorn Road, Sedona

The first amendment to the U.S. Constitution protects press freedom. Freedom of the press is important because it plays a vital role in informing citizens about public affairs and monitoring the actions of government. But what happens when public trust in the media is eroded by sensationalism, foreign influences or bots, fake news, and business […]

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Our River Stories: The Gila and the Salt with Zarco Guerrero

San Tan Historical Society Museum 20425 S. Old Ellsworth Road, Queen Creek, AZ, United States

Join Zarco for a series of stories that share the vibrant and tragic history of water and the River People, over a 2,000 year period. Beginning with the Toltec trade route that brought agriculture and corn to the Southwest. The history of the O’Odham before and after the expansion west is revealed. We learn about […]

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They Beat the Heat: How Arizonans Survived the Desert Heat in the Days Before Air Conditioning with Christine Reid

Phippen Museum 4701 N Hwy 89, Prescott, AZ, United States

Drawing from multi-cultural influences of the variety of people who helped build Arizona, discover how creative adaptations in lifestyle, architecture, building materials, town planning and even humor all contributed to surviving intense desert temperatures. What have we forgotten and what can we learn from the wisdom of those who came before as climate becomes a […]

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Set in Stone but Not in Meaning: Southwestern Rock Art with Allen Dart

Glendale Public Library - Foothills Library - Roadrunner Room 19055 N 57th Ave, Glendale, United States

Ancient American Indian petroglyphs (symbols carved or pecked on rocks) and pictographs (rock paintings) are claimed by some to be forms of writing for which meanings are known. But are such claims supported by archaeology or by Native Americans? Archaeologist Allen Dart illustrates how petroglyph and pictograph styles changed through time and over different parts […]

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Asian Americans in Film and Media, Then and Now with Karen Kuo

Mesa Public Libraries - Main Branch - Saguaro Room --- 64 E. 1st St., Mesa, AZ, 85201 64 E. 1st Street, Mesa, AZ, United States

Depictions of Asia and Asians in film and media have defined perceptions of Asian Americans in the U.S. since the early 20th century. We have seen the “model minority,” “asexual nerd,” “submissive mistress,” “tongue-tied immigrant,” and “kung-fu master” portrayals in movies, cartoons, books, and news for decades. These stereotypes reflect historical inaccuracies, and embody racist, […]

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Why Arizona Dark Skies Matter with Dr. Matthew Goodwin

City of Surprise City Hall - City Council Chambers 16000 N Civic Center Plaza, Surprise, AZ, United States

Flagstaff, Arizona was the world’s first community designated an International Dark Sky Place for its active efforts reduce light pollution and protect the visibility of the night sky. There are now over 130 dark-sky communities, places, and parks globally. Arizona alone has 17 dark-sky places, which is more than any other country in the world. […]

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Arizona v. the United States: Challenging the Constitution with Thomas J. Davis

Arizona Capitol Museum, Historic Senate Chamber 1700 W. Washington St., Phoenix

Comparatively young, Wild West, borderland that Arizona is with its rich indigenous heritage, pioneer, settler mentality, and fierce, independent spirit, the state has given rise to challenges that have shaped understanding of the US Constitution. For example, any reader or viewer of US police procedurals is familiar with Miranda v. Arizona (1966), treating the Fifth […]

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Desert Rats, River Runners, and Canyon Crawlers: Four Arizona Explorers with Gregory McNamee

San Tan Library- Bronze Room 31505 N Schnepf Rd, San Tan Valley, AZ, United States

Francisco Garcés, a Franciscan friar, arrived in what is now Arizona in 1768. Assigned to the church at San Xavier del Bac south of present-day Tucson, he traveled widely throughout Arizona and California, charting overland routes that later travelers would follow. Near where Garcés would meet his death in 1781, an American soldier named Joseph […]

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Education in the News: What’s Happening in Classrooms Today?

Pima County Public Library- Eckstrom-Columbus Branch 4350 E. 22nd St., Tucson, AZ, United States

The debate over what happens in the classroom continues to escalate as politics creep into curriculum. What can be taught, what can be said, and what pronouns teachers can use are all in question. What are the new bills and school policies being introduced in Arizona? How is legislation in other states influencing the national […]

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Education in the News: What’s Happening in Classrooms Today?

Pima County Public Library, Dusenberry-River Branch, 5605 E. River Road #105, Tucson, AZ, United States

The debate over what happens in the classroom continues to escalate as politics creep into curriculum. What can be taught, what can be said, and what pronouns teachers can use are all in question. What are the new bills and school policies being introduced in Arizona? How is legislation in other states influencing the national […]

FREE

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