Mark Twain Museum to Sponsor Anti-Racism Workshop

Last Updated on Wednesday, 07 July 2010 15:33 Wednesday, 07 July 2010 15:15

The Mark Twain Boyhood Home & Museum will host an “Awareness and Understanding of Systemic Racism” workshop on Friday, August 27 from 9:00-3:00 at the Museum Gallery.  Community Partnership for Reconciliation (CPR), a diverse group of citizens working to eliminate racism and its residual destructive impact, is sponsoring the event.  The workshop will be facilitated by a national team with a 39-year history of working towards racial justice and reconciliation. 

The Museum’s role in preserving Twain’s legacy includes explaining how a boy from a slave-holding home and community could “unlearn” beliefs instilled during childhood and grow up to write Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Twain’s anti-racism, anti-slavery treatise and generally regarded as his masterpiece.   

“We like to ask ourselves, ‘What would Mark Twain do?’” said Cindy Lovell, executive director of the Museum and a member of CPR, “and we believe he would support any effort to reduce racism and promote harmony, especially here in his hometown.”  Many people do not know that Twain secretly paid the tuition of a gifted black student at Yale when he learned the student held three jobs and lived with the school’s carpenter just to be able to pay tuition.  That student, Warner T. McGuinn, went on to become a lawyer and president of the NAACP in Baltimore where he later mentored a struggling young, black lawyer: Thurgood Marshall.

Pastor Minnie Smith, a founding member of CPR, agrees that collaborative efforts like this are critical in community building.  “I have taken this workshop in the past,” she said, “and they do an excellent job.  We hope that other community leaders will join us in our endeavors.  The outcomes are always very positive.” 

Toto Rendlen, another founding member of CPR, agreed.  “We have to lead by example.  This is not a ‘preachy’ approach, but a realistic investigation into confronting our own perceptions about those who are different from us.  It is a uniquely personal experience.”

There is no cost for the workshop, although a $10 donation is appreciated.  Space is limited to 40 adults.  Continental breakfast and lunch are provided.  Please call the Museum at 573-221-9010, ext. 401 to reserve a place.

 

Mark Twain Museum to hold “Dinner Under the Stars” Fundraiser September 11

Last Updated on Tuesday, 06 July 2010 21:34 Tuesday, 06 July 2010 21:28

Mark Twain Young Authors Arrive

Monday, 28 June 2010 15:07

Twelve young authors have arrived in Hannibal for the 2010 Mark Twain Young Authors.  These students will spend the week walking in the footsteps of young Sam Clemens while honing their writing skills.  Four Hannibal residents are joined by eight out-of-state students for the workshop, which runs until July 3 thanks to a $5000 grant from The Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation of New York City and a $2500 grant from Hannibal’s Riedel Foundation.  Support is also provided by the HATS (High Achieving Talented Students) Program at Stetson University, DeLand, Florida.

Six girls received the scholarship.  They are: Abby Burgess, 5^th grade, Home Schooled, Commerce, MI; Lydia Hursh, 5^th grade, Lyall J. Fink Elementary School, Middletown, PA; Richy Rodgers, 6^th grade, Holy Family School, Hannibal, MO; Shelby Jaco, 7^th grade, Mountain Gap Middle School, Huntsville, AL; Destiny Reed, 8^th grade, Palmyra Middle School, Hannibal, MO; and Rebekah Lippens, 8^th grade, Creekside Middle School, Port Orange, FL.

Six boys also received the scholarship.  They are: Jack Norton, 5^th grade, Glen Urquhart School, Beverly Farms, MA; John Hursh, 5^th grade, Lyall J. Fink Elementary School, Middletown, PA; Anthony Derschon, 6^th grade, Hannibal Middle School, Hannibal, MO; David Webb, 6^th grade, Holy Family School, Hannibal, MO; Javan Latson, 6^th grade, Howard Middle School, Ocala, FL; and Ben Weeks, 6^th grade, Home School, Wixom, MI.

The program is sponsored by the Mark Twain Boyhood Home & Museum with support from the HATS Program and the Hannibal Courier-Post.  The Museum’s executive director, Dr. Cindy Lovell, founded the HATS Program in 1999 and established the Mark Twain Young Authors Workshop in 2007.  Lovell co-directs the workshop with Museum curator, Henry Sweets.  The program has attracted hundreds of applicants from around the country.  Hannibal native and writer, Melissa Scholes Young, will join the workshop this year as a writing instructor along with teachers Traci Mosby and Paige Taylor.  Planned activities include riding the Mark Twain Riverboat and taking a lantern tour of the Mark Twain Cave. 

“I’m looking forward to having fun while learning,” said Javan Latson.  “Sort of edu-tainment.” 

“I’m eager to explore the cave,” said Ben Weeks, “especially since we’re taking the lantern tour.”

The twelve students won a full scholarship for the program based on their writing abilities.  They are especially excited to be in town for some of the National Tom Sawyer Day festivities.

 

Mark Twain Museum to Feature The Heart Gallery: June 30-July 5

Wednesday, 23 June 2010 14:04

Brandon is a happy, energetic 6-year-old with curly brown hair. He enjoys playing with cars, riding his bike and giving and receiving hugs. Lizzie has a contagious smile, brown eyes and is taller than most 8-year-old girls. Her favorite activities are playing with dolls, swinging or hopscotch. Deshawn is a 14-year-old young lady with a smile that warms your heart. She enjoys playing board games with family; her favorite is Monopoly.

Their interests are different, but these children all have one thing in common: they reside in foster homes and will never return to their biological parents. They – and more than 2,000 other children like them in Missouri – need “forever” homes.

The 2010 Missouri Heart Gallery traveling exhibit features 240 Missouri children awaiting adoption. Each has been professionally photographed and will be featured at the Mark Twain Museum from June 30 to July 5. The Heart Gallery will make more than 20 stops this year including Crown Center in Kansas City and the State Capitol Building in November in the hopes that the featured children will find loving, adoptive homes. Last year 64 children featured in the Heart Galley were successfully adopted.

“We’re grateful to play a small role in the lives of these children who are seeking permanent homes,” said Cindy Lovell, executive director of the museum. “Our visitation is high right now, so we’re hoping that some adoptions may come of our exhibit here.”

The Museum will host a ribbon cutting ceremony at the Museum Gallery at 120 N. Main St., Hannibal, Missouri, on Wednesday, June 30^th at 11:30 a.m. for this special exhibit. Speakers include Missouri State Representative Rachel Bringer and Heart Gallery adoptive parents Kevin and Donna Williams.

For more information please visit http://moheartgallery.org or http://marktwainmuseum.org or call 573.221.9010 ext. 404.