Join us for the final conversation of our Reflections on Democracy series as we explore the topic of Democracy, Education & The Arts. On Thursday, September 19th, The Du Bois Freedom Center will welcome Tony and Grammy award-winning artist and author, Leslie Odom, Jr., who will be in conversation with our Visiting Scholar on Democracy, The Honorable Reverend Michael Blake. This program is free, open to the public, and all are welcome to attend. Advance registration required by August 30th.

On January 3, 1911, two Latvian anarchists wanted for a police murder were tracked down to a room on Sidney Street in London’s overwhelmingly Jewish East End. For six hours, the two besieged men, equipped with semiautomatic pistols, held out against the police and army sharpshooters. Winston Churchill, then Britain’s interior minister, came to the scene, peering out from a doorway to see the action for himself. The two gunmen died, but the shootout—unparalleled in London’s history—entered folklore as “the siege of Sidney Street.”   In this illustrated talk, historian Andrew Whitehead—author of the recently published A Devilish Kind of Courage:

Christian McBride is an eight-time GRAMMY-winning bassist, composer and bandleader fusing everything from jazz to R&B, pop/rock to hip-hop/neo-soul to classical. He is the Artistic Director of the historic Newport Jazz Festival, the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC), the TD James Moody Jazz Festival, and the National Jazz Museum in Harlem. Joining him on stage are saxophonist Nicole Glover, guitarist Ely Perlman, pianist Mike King and drummer Savannah Harris.  On sale now at spac.org

Join us for a bourbon-forward culinary experience with James Beard Award Winner Chef Edward Lee. Enjoy pourings by First Fill Spirits, dishes from Lee’s cookbook Bourbon Land and conversation lead by WAMC’s Joe Donahue.  On sale now at spac.org