“Freedom” is a word you hear a lot these days, but, more and more, it means different things to different people.
The Mississippi Humanities Council, in conjunction with the Columbus Arts Council, is hosting a public forum Tuesday night to explore the different shades of freedom as a concept.
MHC Program and Outreach Officer John Spann said now is a great time to talk about freedom in America and what it means.
“We just celebrated Juneteenth and the Fourth of July, and we thought we should do something about freedom,” he said. “We are of the mindset that freedom is unique to all of us, there is no one definition of what it means to us as Americans.”
Tuesday’s forum, “What Does Freedom Mean to You?”, is set for 5:30 p.m. at the Columbus Arts Council on Main Street.
Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science teacher Chuck Yarborough will moderate a panel composed of Mississippi University for Women assistant professor of political science Chaley Rainey, District 39 State Rep. Dana McLean (R-Columbus) and District 41 State Rep. Kabir Karriem (D-Columbus), who will answer questions about what freedom means to them.
The audience will also be given an opportunity to ask questions and make comments, Spann said.
“This is one of three forums we’re having as part of our Ideas on Tap series,” Spann said. “(Ideas on Tap) is a community conversation program that is styled after happy hour. We want to attract young people, and we typically do it somewhere where there is a bar or that is open to having adult beverages and snacks and stuff.”
Spann said he hopes the program will help people connect with others who view the world differently.
“A lot of us live in silos and bubbles,” he said. “Hopefully this will open people up to a different way of thinking or a different perspective. We’re not trying to change minds, but just let people know that their perspective isn’t the only perspective.”
Yarborough agreed.
“I think communities across the country suffer from not enough participation,” he said. “This event offers people the opportunity to think. And, as Elizabeth Cady Stanton said, when people start to think the first steps of progress are taken.”
McLean said she is looking forward to hearing others’ views.
“I hope people come away with a varied perspective on what freedom means to others,” she said. “I want to hear from others because, as an elected official, the best way for us to lead is to know what our constituents want and how they see things. So I see it as a learning experience, as well as a chance to present my views.”
Now, in the midst of “serious times,” the conversation is necessary, Karriem said.
“One of the questions that needs to be asked is not just what freedom means to us, but what freedoms are being taken away from us and how we can stop that,” he said. “The overturning of (Roe v. Wade) sets a precedent, and what ripple effect will that have on society? It’s going to be interesting to see how everything unfolds at this time in America.”
The event is free and open to the public. Spann said if the Wi-Fi infrastructure is there, the event will also be streamed. To watch online, go to the Mississippi Humanities Council’s Facebook page.
Brian Jones is the local government reporter for Columbus and Lowndes County.
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