Gathering together, reflecting with others, and committing to live like citizens are key ways to build civic muscle in America, especially during a time of anxiety and polarization. That’s why Civic Nebraska hosts Civic Saturday, a national phenomenon inspiring Americans to become more powerful and active citizens.
The city’s final Civic Saturday of 2024 will be from 11 a.m. to noon on Oct. 12 at Sheldon Museum of Art, 12th and R streets on the University of Nebraska campus. The free, public gatherings began in Seattle in 2016 and have since spread to more than 250 cities across the United States, featuring music, poetry, readings of civic texts, and a “civic sermon.” Civic Saturdays also provide opportunities for participants to engage in small-group discussions.
On Oct. 12, Civic Saturday will focus on stepping outside our comfort zones to affect change. Sheldon will co-host the gathering to celebrate the museum’s exhibition “Voting Is People Power.”
Jack Rodenburg will provide live music; original poetry will be performed by former Nebraska Youth Poet Laureate Aliyah American Horse; and Astrid Munn, Sam Meier-Bates, and Erin Hanas will lead civic readings.
Kwame Gyamfi, a 2024 National Civic Saturday fellow, will deliver the “civic sermon.” Gyamfi is the school community coordinator at Civic Nebraska’s after-school programs at Lincoln High and Lincoln Northeast High.
For more information or to RSVP, please visit https://bitly.com/CivSatNeb. RSVPs are not required, but we kindly request that you help us plan for snacks and drinks.
