FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 3, 2007

Two-Day Event at Jackson Center Welcomes Christopher Paul Curtis and Book Review Contest Winners

The Robert H. Jackson Center, the Law, Youth and Citizenship Program of the New York Bar Association and the New York Bar Foundation will welcome Christopher Paul Curtis and winners of the 2007 statewide and local Book Review contests to Jamestown for events on April 17–18, 2007. Mr. Curtis is the author of the Newbery Honor Award-winning book The Watsons Go to Birmingham—1963, which is the subject of this year’s book review contest.

The two-day event is part of the Jackson Center’s ongoing mission to advance the legacy of Robert H. Jackson. Jackson participated in the U.S. Supreme Court Brown v. Board of Education decision in 1954, which outlawed segregation in public education. The characters in Curtis’s book experience the hatred and violence that erupted in the years following this pivotal court decision.

The first event will be held at the Jackson Center on Tuesday, April 17. Mr. Curtis and book review contest winners will be the guests of honor at a 6:00 p.m. lasagna dinner at the Jackson Center. The dinner, which is open to the public, costs $8 per person. Reservations are required and can be made by calling the Jackson Center at 483-6646.

Following dinner, a program featuring Vivian Taylor, George Lawn and Rolland Kidder, who will share their early 1960s civil rights movement experiences, will be held in the Carl Cappa Theater. This 7:00 p.m. program is at no charge to the public.

On Wednesday, April 18, Mr. Curtis will address book review contest winners and their families, local students and teachers from grades 6–8 representing 16 schools, and event sponsors during morning and afternoon presentations. The morning session will be held at the Reg Lenna Civic Center and the afternoon session will be held in the Carl Cappa Theater at the Jackson Center. Attendance at these sessions is by prior reservation only. Reservations are now closed. Mr. Curtis will discuss his book, The Watson’s Go to Birmingham—1963, which tells the story of the Watsons, a middle-class black family from Flint, Michigan, who travel to Birmingham, Alabama, where they experience racial hatred and the civil rights struggle. It combines humor and tragedy while addressing family relationships and social issues.

Other books by Mr. Curtis include the Newbery Award-winning Bud, Not Buddy, Bucking the Sarge, Mr. Chickee’s Funny Money and the recently released Mr. Chickee’s Messy Mission.

This event is organized by Anita Sanctuary, Jackson Center staff members and the New York Bar Law Youth and Citizenship Program. The NY Newspaper Publishers Association Newspapers in Education Program gave educational support through the publication of a teacher’s guide.

Mrs. Sanctuary noted, “We are indeed honored to have this special opportunity to welcome such a renowned author as Christopher Paul Curtis to our community. Adults as well as students are very excited about Mr. Curtis’ visit, and all look forward to learning from his message.”

Event sponsors include: the New York Bar Foundation, National Fuel Gas, the Law, Youth and Citizenship Program of the New York Bar Association, SKF Aeroengine North America, Jamestown Savings Bank, Division of Northwest Savings Bank, Serta Mattress Company, Acu-Rite Incorporated, Brigiotta’s Farmland Foods, Comfort Inn, Jamestown Community College, Karl Peterson Funds of the Chautauqua Region Community Foundation, Rhoe B. Henderson Insurance Agency, Southern Tier All-Star Sports LLC, and Weinberg Financial Group.

For additional information contact the Jackson Center at 483-6646 or visit www.roberthjackson.org.

The Jackson Center’s mission is to advance the legacy of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Robert H. Jackson through education and exhibits, and by pursuing the relevance of his ideas for our generation. The Center is located at 305 East Fourth Street, Jamestown. Tours are available from 10 a.m.–4 p.m., Monday–Friday and Saturdays from 10 a.m.–2 p.m.

Contact information:

The Robert H. Jackson Center

716.483.6646

Carol Drake

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 11, 2007

Jackson Center Announces Book Review Contest Winners

Three Chautauqua County students are among the winners in the 2007 book review contest based on the Newbery Honor Award-winning book “The Watsons Go to Birmingham—1963” written by Christopher Paul Curtis.

Statewide and county winners will be honored at the Jackson Center on Tuesday, April 17 at 7 p.m. in the Carl Cappa Theater when Vivian Taylor, George Lawn and Rolland Kidder share their early 1960s civil rights movement experiences. This event is free and open to the public.

Contest winners will meet Christopher Paul Curtis at a lasagna dinner preceding the Tuesday evening program. The 6 p.m. dinner is open to the public by reservation only at $8 per person. Call the Center at 483-6646 for reservations.

Statewide contestants were required to address the theme: “How do prejudice and discrimination deny individuals their basic civil rights?”  They were to use examples from the book, as well as historic and present-day examples to support their answers to that question. Also, they were to explain the importance of Mr. Curtis’ book to them.

Statewide winners are Sarah Beimel, grade 8, Sherman Central School, Sherman, N.Y.; Danielle Swezey, grade 7, York Central School, Wadsworth, N.Y.; and Cortney Linnecke, grade 8, Chautauqua Lake Central School, Ashville, N.Y.

The county contest students were to “select one or two characters who, while visiting relatives in Alabama in 1963, experienced first-hand racial discrimination, the lack of personal rights and the fear caused by the struggle for civil rights.” They were to select examples from the book to support their selections, and explain the importance of Mr. Curtis’ book to them.

The Chautauqua County winner is Sloane Trusso of Jefferson Middle School, Jamestown, N.Y.

All winners will receive a savings bond, a framed certificate and an autographed copy of “The Watsons Go to Birmingham—1963.” Winning essays will be published on the Robert H. Jackson Center website <www.roberthjackson.org> and on the Law, Youth and Citizenship website <www.lycny.org> April 20.

The statewide contest is co-sponsored by the Jackson Center, the Law, Youth and Citizenship Program of the New York Bar Association and the New York Bar Foundation. The county contest and the two-day event is sponsored by National Fuel Gas, SKF Aeroengine North America, Jamestown Savings Bank, Division of Northwest Savings Bank, Serta Mattress Company, Acu-Rite Incorporated, Brigiotta’s Farmland Foods, Comfort Inn, Jamestown Community College, Karl Peterson Funds of the Chautauqua Region Community Foundation, Rhoe B. Henderson Insurance Agency, Southern Tier All-Star Sports LLC, and Weinberg Financial Group.

The Newspapers in Education Program (NIE) of the N.Y. Newspaper Publishers

Association gave educational support by providing a teacher’s guide that is

posted on the Jackson Center website under “Events.”

For additional information contact the Jackson Center at 483-6646 or visit www.roberthjackson.org.

The Jackson Center’s mission is to advance the legacy of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Robert H. Jackson through education and exhibits, and by pursuing the relevance of his ideas for our generation. The Center is located at 305 East Fourth Street, Jamestown. Tours are available from 10 a.m.–4 p.m., Monday–Friday and Saturdays from 10 a.m.–2 p.m.

Contact information:

The Robert H. Jackson Center

716.483.6646

Carol Drake

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