The 1968 Democratic Convention: 50th Anniversary

Harold Washington Library Center
400 S. State Street - Cindy Pritzker Auditorium
Chicago

This event is free and open to the public.
Doors to the Cindy Pritzker Auditorium open at 5 p.m. and seating is available first come, first served.

Join Alderman Ed Burke, professor and former alderman Dick Simpson, professor and lobbyist Bernie Sieracki and St. Louis Post-Dispatch journalist Taylor Pensoneau--all of whom were there--as they share their personal memories of the 1968 Democratic National Convention with moderator Mark DePue.

1968 was a watershed year for Americans. First came the Communists' Tet Offensive, then the assassinations of Martin Luther King and Robert Kennedy, shaking a nation's confidence. By August, the whole world was watching as the Democrats gathered in Chicago to select their presidential candidate. Americans were shocked by what they saw both inside and outside the convention hall. America was never the same.

This event is presented in collaboration with the Chicago Public Library and the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum. 

Chicago Collections digital exhibit launching in September 2018: “Place of Protest: Chicago’s Legacy of Dissent, Declaration, and Disruption”

Pulling from CCC member collections, and curated by Rachel Boyle, PhD, the exhibit examines how protesters occupied space with their bodies, voices, and possessions. A listing of related events pertaining to the protest theme will be included.