Registration is now open for the Cultivating Civic Conversations (CCC): About the State of Our Democracy seminar group. This free, 10-week seminar begins Thursday, Jan. 6 and runs through Thursday, March 8 and is presented twice a day (11 a.m. and 5 p.m.) to accommodate different schedules. Open to the public, it offers participants an opportunity to step back and use a “beginner’s mind” when discussing civic education and engagement. If we want to encourage our friends, co-workers, and family to participate in our democracy, then sometimes we need a fresh approach—one that makes fewer assumptions about what “everyone knows” about our history and government. 

The CCC seminar uses the LWVWA’s elementary civics textbook, The State We’re In: Washington, as the anchoring framework. The book is available online at no charge or as a hard copy (purchase through the LWVWA website). Links and purchasing details will be included in the registration and welcome materials. Register and view more information on the CCC Sutra site. 

Cultivating Civic Conversations Celebrates Martin Luther King Jr. Day 2022 

Join Katherine Murphy and Bonita Gill for a CCC event celebrating Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Monday, Jan. 17 from 4 to 5:30 p.m. The event, which is free and open to the general public, will focus on three elements:  

• Dr. King’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail”  

• Dr. King’s 1967 interview with NBC 

• The principle of nonviolent direct action  

Participants will receive the links to this content in advance so that we can have a constructive conversation about Dr. King’s legacy in its original historical context. This session will include music, video, and other content and offers time for large group reflection and small breakouts. We hope that the event will encourage all of us to honor Dr. King’s legacy throughout the year by “getting in good trouble.” Register on the CCC Sutra site. 

To stay apprised of CCC events, sign up to receive the CCC newsletter. For more information about the Cultivating Civic Conversations program, contact Katherine Murphy.