Citizens Wanted: A Forum on Civic Engagement & Looking for Lincoln on NJN
Sunday, March 29, starting at 8 pm

Statewide – On Sunday, March 29, 2009, as part of the 2009 Lincoln Bicentennial celebration, NJN will broadcast the national PBS documentary Looking for Lincoln at 8 PM followed at 11:00 PM by a special NJN program Citizens Wanted: A Forum on Civic Engagement , a half-hour panel discussion on civic engagement and its importance in a democratic society. Encore broadcasts of Citizens Wanted will appear on NJN1: Tuesday, April 7 at 7 PM; and on NJN2: Monday, March 30 at 7 PM.  For information on NJN2, visit our website at njn.net.

Looking For Lincoln, an unprecedented two-hour program presented and written by Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr., addresses many of the controversies surrounding Lincoln – race, equality, religion, politics, and depression – by carefully interpreting evidence from those who knew him and those who study him today.  NJN’s Citizens Wanted was taped before a live studio audience and is hosted by NJN News director Michael Aron.  The special NJN program features Pulitzer Prize-winning author James M. McPherson; New Jersey chief justice James R. Zazzali; judge Marjorie O. Rendell, Third Circuit Court of Appeals and First Lady of Pennsylvania; and civic education expert Arlene Gardner. The distinguished panelists discuss the challenges that President Lincoln faced, the critical issues facing President Obama, and the need for enlightened and engaged citizens in the 21st century. They explore the role that media played on multiple platforms during the 2008 presidential campaign that generated dramatic interest and participation among Americans of all backgrounds and ages, especially those under 30.  

Check the NJN Citizens Wanted website at www.njn.net to watch additional video of the panel discussion not included in the broadcast and for resources and links to additional civic websites. Take the Civics Quiz and see how much you know – or don’t know!  You might be surprised.   And share your ideas for future civic dialogue through our website.  We want to hear from you.

A DVD of Citizens Wanted is available for $19.95 plus $5 for shipping and handling.  Please order online at the NJN Store or call (800) 882-6622.  Funding for Citizens Wanted is provided by Advance Realty Group.  Sole corporate funding for Looking for Lincoln is provided by State Farm®. Major funding for Looking for Lincoln is provided by CPB and PBS.

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