National Archives Public Programs in June
Press Release · Wednesday, May 24, 2023

Washington, DC

In June, the National Archives will present free public programs at the National Archives Museum in Washington, DC, at its Presidential Libraries nationwide, and online. Programs this month include our annual Genealogy Series and our Juneteenth Family Day celebration. 

(In-Person Only) Night at the Museum: Y’all Means All: An Inclusive Family Night at LBJ 
Thursday, June 1, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m CT
LBJ Plaza, Lyndon B. Johnson Presidential Library and Museum, Austin, TX
Join us for a special family inclusion event on June 1, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. This free community night is open to youth, parents, adults, and allies and will feature music, door prizes, refreshments, and activities on the LBJ Library Plaza. Inside the LBJ Library, participating organizations will share their knowledge and promote area resources available to the LGBTQIA+ community in Austin and surrounding areas. “Y’all Means All” will be a respite that is both educational and entertaining, in an environment where everyone feels safe and seen. This “Night at the Museum” is hosted by the LBJ Library’s Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility (IDEA) Committee.

Participating organizations:
Future Front Texas
Equality Texas
OutYouth
Texas Pets Alive!
Planned Parenthood
Austin LGBT Coalition on Aging
Hook’Em Arts
PRISM
Round Rock Pride


(In-Person and Online) Exhibit Opening Discussion: Black Americans, Civil Rights, and The Roosevelts, 1932–1962
Saturday, June 3, at 3 p.m. ET
Henry A Wallace Center, Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum, Hyde Park, NY
Register to attend in-person; watch online at FDR Library YouTube, Twitter, or Facebook 
The FDR Presidential Library presents a special exhibit opening program featuring FDR Library Trustee and Director of the Roosevelt House Institute for Public Policy at Hunter College Basil Smikle PhD, Pulitzer Prize–winning American historian David Levering Lewis, and President & CEO of the New York Urban League Arva Rice. The event will be held in the Henry A. Wallace Center at the FDR Presidential Library and Home.

This is a free public event, but registration to attend in-person is required.


(In-Person Only)  Symphony at Sunset Annual D-Day Commemoration Concert
Saturday, June 3, 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. CT
Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum, Abilene, KS
Commemorate the anniversary of D-Day at this meaningful outdoor concert held on the grounds of the Eisenhower Presidential Library. The concert will feature patriotic favorites and popular classics. Free museum admission all day!

4 p.m. Activities & Food Vendors (campus grounds)
4 p.m. Hands-on History Carts (museum)
5 p.m. Meet a World War II Veteran (visitors center)
5:30 p.m. Everyday Lights (main stage)
6:30 & 8 p.m. Mounted Color Guard Demos (campus grounds)
7 p.m. 1st Infantry Division Band (main stage)
8:30 p.m. Salina Symphony (main stage)

Symphony at Sunset is generously sponsored by: Community Foundation of Dickinson County, Inc., Marshall Motors, Friends of the Eisenhower Foundation, Kansas Gas Service, and Vyve Broadband.


(In Person Only) Sunday Concert Series at the Nixon Presidential Library and Museum
Sunday, June 4, 11, 18, and 25, at 2 p.m. PT
Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, Yorba Linda, CA

June 4: Eric Marchese and Friends: Ragtime Piano
June 11: Musical Arts Competition Winners Recital
June 18: Pacific Stars International Piano Competition Winners Concert
June 25: Zechariah Cheng - Pianist


(Online Only) Brotherhood of the Flying Coffin: The Glider Pilots of World War II
Tuesday, June 6, at 1 p.m. ET 
Register to attend online; watch on the National Archives YouTube Channel
In the first major history of American glider pilots, the forgotten heroes of World War II, author Scott McGaugh will discuss the story of no guns, no engines, and no second chances. This book distills war down to individual young men climbing into defenseless gliders made of plywood, ready to trust the towing aircraft that would pull them into enemy territory by a single cable wrapped with a telephone wire. Based on their after-action reports, journals, oral histories, photos, and letters home, the book reveals every terrifying minute of their missions. They were all volunteers for a specialized duty that their own government projected would have a 50 percent casualty rate. None faltered.


(Online Only) Genealogy Series - Accessing and Understanding Korean War Army Unit Records
Wednesday, June 7, 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. ET
No registration required; watch on the National Archives YouTube Channel 
In honor of the 70th anniversary of the signing of the armistice that officially ended the Korean War, Rachael Salyer offers an introduction to two large series that contain records relating to Army units that served during that conflict: Command Reports, 1949–1954, and Unit Histories, 1943–1967. These records provide information about the activities and engagements of specific Army units that may give genealogists a deeper insight into their family members’ service. The presentation will outline how to use finding aids to search for relevant records, and it will also include examples of the types of records that are generally found in these series. The session will conclude with some troubleshooting tips and a few additional resources. Learn more about the Genealogy Series.


(Online Only) Driving the Green Book: A Road Trip Through the Living History of Black Resistance
Thursday, June 8, at 1:30 p.m. ET
Register to attend online; watch on the National Archives YouTube Channel 
For countless Americans, the open road has long been a place where dangers lurk. In the era of Jim Crow, Black travelers encountered locked doors, hostile police, and potentially violent encounters almost everywhere, in both the South and the North. From 1936 to 1967, millions relied on The Negro Motorist Green Book, the definitive guide to businesses where they could safely rest, eat, or sleep. Author Alvin Hall set out to revisit the world of the Green Book to instruct us all on the real history of the guide that saved many lives. Along the way, Hall gathered memories from some of the last living witnesses for whom the Green Book meant survival.


(In Person Only) Family Fish
Saturday, June 10, 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. CT
The Pond, George Bush Presidential Library Pond, College Station, TX
Register to attend in-person
Create lasting family memories while enjoying a morning of FREE fishing and fun at the pond on the grounds of the Bush Library and Museum. The pond will be generously stocked with fish, and additional activities will include food, games, educational displays, learning stations, emergency vehicle displays, and more.

Participants are encouraged to bring their own fishing gear. A limited number of child-sized fishing poles will be available for those who need to borrow one (while supplies last). This event is not catch-and-release, so come prepared if you'd like to take your fish home! Fishing licenses are not required.


(In Person Only) Bush Birthday Tribute
Monday, June 12, 11 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. CT
The Rotunda, George Bush Presidential Library Pond, College Station, TX
Register to attend in-person
We honor what would have been the 99th birthday of President George Bush (June 12) and 98th birthday of Barbara Bush (June 8). Museum visitors are invited to join in the festivities with free birthday cake, popcorn, and refreshments in the rotunda.

Guests are encouraged to don their crazy socks and pearls as we celebrate the lives and legacies of President and Mrs. Bush. There is no cost to participate in the festivities in the rotunda, but regular museum admission will apply.


(In-Person and Online) John Kirk on the Little Rock Nine
Tuesday, June 13, 7 to 8 p.m. CT
Indoor Courtyard, Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum, Abilene, KS
Watch on the Ike Library YouTube Channel
Dr. John A. Kirk, the George W. Donaghey Distinguished Professor of History at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, discusses the Little Rock Nine, the central figures in the 1957 Little Rock school crisis at Central High. Their decision to attend a historically white school, their decision to insist on taking their places there, and their decision to stay there despite numerous attempts to intimidate them to leave, from both inside and outside of the school, forced others to make decisions and act, from the federal courts to the president. This talk examines what motivated the nine teenagers to take a stand.

The Evenings at Ease series is held the second Tuesday of alternating months. The 2023 program theme is "Difficult Decisions.” Join us all year for a deep dive into the challenges faced during the Eisenhower era. These programs are all made possible courtesy of the Eisenhower Foundation with generous support from the Jeffcoat Memorial Foundation.


(In-Person Only) Going Green: Conservation in the Classroom and Community
Wednesday, June 14, to Friday, June 16, 8:30 a.m to 4 p.m. CT
Lyndon B. Johnson Presidential Library and partner sites
Register to attend online, registration closes June 2 at 10 p.m.
Calling all K through 12th grade Science and Social Studies educators for a unique three-day professional development workshop!

Learn, explore, and grow with your science and social studies colleagues as we learn about how to implement a stronger conservation curriculum with local resources and out-of-the-classroom learning opportunities. Join the LBJ Library, Austin Park Rangers, and experts on conservation and environmentalism as we get our hands dirty to improve our community and learn the strategies to help our students do the same. 

This event will take participants out onto the Texas trails and into local parks for hands-on learning. We ask that participants be able to physically handle being outdoors for several hours at a time. Registration for Going Green is $50. Workshop fee includes breakfast & lunch each day and a plethora of resources. Participants attending Going Green will earn 24 CEU hours.


(Online Only) Genealogy Series - Planning, Techniques, and Strategies for Preserving Family Collections and Stories
Wednesday, June 14, 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. ET
No registration required; watch on the National Archives YouTube Channel
Learn how professionals preserve records with surveys to create a plan, use archival techniques, and select storage strategies. Surveys help you create a plan of action to determine record treatment, housing, and storage. Archival techniques can be used on your own personal collections of paper-based materials, photographs, and objects. Strategies include how to identify storage needs for papers and photographs. Sara Holmes will tie this all together and show you how significant documents and records help to tell family stories. Learn more about the Genealogy Series.


(Online Only) National Archives Comes Alive! Young Learners Program: Meet Gilbert Stuart
Thursday, June 15, at 11 a.m. ET
Register to attend online; watch on the National Archives YouTube Channel
Gilbert Stuart was known as a brilliant portraitist of the Federal (post-Revolutionary War) era. Stuart painted several of the iconic images of George Washington we know today, including the one used on the one-dollar bill. Stuart’s attention to detail led to many commissions. His subjects included the first five U.S. Presidents, their families, and many Americans of the day. His work can be seen in museums across the country. Gilbert Stuart is portrayed by Bob Gleason of the American Historical Theatre. This program is made possible in part by the National Archives Foundation.


(Online Only) Symbols of Freedom: Slavery and Resistance Before the Civil War
Thursday, June 15, at 1:30 p.m. ET
Register to attend online; watch on the National Archives YouTube Channel 
Author Matthew J. Clavin will discuss how American symbols inspired enslaved people and their allies to fight for freedom. In the early United States, anthems, flags, holidays, monuments, and memorials were powerful symbols of an American identity that helped unify a divided people. Symbols of Freedom is the surprising story of how enslaved people and their allies drew inspiration from the language and symbols of American freedom. Interpreting patriotic words, phrases, and iconography literally, they embraced a revolutionary nationalism that not only justified but generated open opposition.  Joining the author in discussion will be Martha S. Jones, Professor of History, Johns Hopkins University.
This program and the upcoming Emancipation Proclamation and General Order No. 3 Featured Document Presentation is made possible in part by the National Archives Foundation through the generous support of The Boeing Company.


(In Person Only) Distinguished Speaker Series: A Free World With Unity And Purpose: The Urgent Lessons of the Berlin Airlift
Thursday, June 15, at 6 p.m. CT
Harry S. Truman Presidential Library & Museum
To register, please email guest name(s) to: RSVP.Trumanlibrary@nara.gov
Join us for an extraordinary event featuring world chess champion, author, and master of strategy Garry Kasparov. The Berlin Airlift was a tremendous practical achievement as well as a potent example of individual and collective leadership and courage. With Russia’s war on Ukraine raging and China increasingly aggressive, Kasparov calls for an immediate renewal of the will shown by President Harry Truman to stand up to belligerent authoritarian regimes on every front.


(In Person Only) Juneteenth Celebration
Friday, June 16, 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. CT
George Bush Presidential Library Pond, College Station, TX
Join us in celebrating Juneteenth with award-winning storyteller Toni Simmons. Come explore the tradition of dancing in African American culture and folklore from Africa to America to Emancipation. We honor Juneteenth as a reminder of June 19, 1865, when Union soldiers led by Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger landed in Galveston with news that the Civil War had ended and the enslaved were free. 

Freedom Walk: 9 a.m.-10 a.m.
Annual Freedom Walk begins at the Lincoln Recreation Center and ends at the George Bush Presidential Library and Museum

Juneteenth Storytelling: 10:30–11:30 a.m.
Experience stories, songs, and dances with Toni Simmons at the Annenberg Presidential Conference Center

Pizza: 11:30 am


(In-Person) Juneteenth Family Day
Saturday, June 17, 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Boeing Learning Center, National Archives Museum, Washington, DC
Free, no registration required
Celebrate Juneteenth—the annual holiday commemorating the end of legal slavery in the United States—with family-friendly art-making and activities in the Boeing Learning Center. Come see the official handwritten General Order No. 3 and learn about Arlington’s Freedman’s Village with educators from the National Archives Museum and Arlington National Cemetery. All ages are welcome! This program and the upcoming Emancipation Proclamation and General Order No. 3 Featured Document Presentation is made possible in part by the National Archives Foundation through the generous support of The Boeing Company.


(In-Person) The Lady Bird Diaries
Saturday, June 17, at 2 p.m. ET
William G. McGowan Theater, National Archives Museum,Washington, DC
Register to attend in person 
This groundbreaking all-archival documentary film (2023; 100 mins.) by Dawn Porter uses the 123 hours of personal audio diaries that First Lady Lady Bird Johnson recorded during her husband’s administration. The film reveals Lady Bird as an astute observer of character and culture and a savvy political strategist. It recasts her crucial role in LBJ’s Presidency and brings viewers behind the scenes of one of the most tumultuous and consequential periods in modern American history. Presented in participation with the DC/DOX Documentary Film Festival. Mark A. Lawrence, Director of the Lyndon B. Johnson Library and Museum, will give opening remarks.


(In-Person Only) Wee the People: Conservation in the Classroom
Tuesday, June 20, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. CT
Lyndon B. Johnson Presidential Library, Austin, TX
Register to attend in-person
Early childhood educators can set the foundation of civic responsibility for the environment in students. The LBJ Library will be hosting “Wee the People: Conservation in the Classroom” for our pre-K, kindergarten, first grade, and community educators. This thought-provoking evening will help educators address climate change and conservation in ways that help our young learners understand their role in the environment.

Registration for Wee the People is $15. The workshop fee includes breakfast, lunch, and plenty of resources to take back to your classroom! Participants attending “Wee the People” will earn 8 CEU hours.


(Online only) Vigilance: The Life of William Still, Father of the Underground Railroad 
Wednesday, June 21, at 1 p.m. ET
Register to attend online; watch on the National Archives YouTube Channel 
Author Andrew K. Diemer will discuss the remarkable and inspiring story of William Still, an unknown abolitionist who dedicated his life to managing a critical section of the Underground Railroad in Philadelphia, helping hundreds of people escape from slavery. As a conductor for the Underground Railroad, Still helped as many as 800 people escape enslavement. He also meticulously collected the letters, biographical sketches, arrival memos, and ransom notes of the escapees, and authored The Underground Railroad Records, an archive of primary documents that trace the narrative of what had been described as one of the most successful campaigns in American history. Diemer captures the full range and accomplishments of Still’s life, from his resistance to Fugitive Slave Laws and his relationship with John Brown before the war, to his long career fighting for citizenship rights and desegregation until the early 20th century. This program and the upcoming Emancipation Proclamation and General Order No. 3 Featured Document Presentation is made possible in part by the National Archives Foundation through the generous support of The Boeing Company.


(In-Person and Online) Lunch & Learn: Johanna Lewis on Sending the National Guard to Little Rock
Thursday, June 22, noon to 1 p.m CT
Indoor Courtyard, Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum, Abilene, KS
Watch on the Ike Library YouTube Channel
Join Johanna Lewis for this month’s Lunch & Learn event entitled The Federal Government Must Prevail: Eisenhower, the 101st Airborne, and the 1957 Central High Crisis.

This monthly series is held the fourth Thursday of each month. The 2023 program theme is “Difficult Decisions.” Join us all year for a deep dive into the challenges faced during the Eisenhower era. These programs are all made possible courtesy of the Eisenhower Foundation with generous support from the Jeffcoat Memorial Foundation.


(In-Person and Online) Gen Z and Civic Engagement: A Conversation with U.S. Representative Maxwell Frost
Thursday, June 22, at 7 p.m. ET
William G. McGowan Theater, National Archives Museum, Washington, DC
Register to attend online; watch on the National Archives YouTube Channel 
Join award-winning journalist Soledad O’Brien in conversation with Congressman Maxwell Frost (FL-10), the only Gen Z member of Congress. The program will focus on the roles young people can play in civic life and how citizens can engage with the political system, from advocating to get a pothole fixed to voting to running for Congress. Governor James J. Blanchard, the National Archives Foundation Chair and President, will give opening remarks. This program is hosted in partnership by the National Archives and National Archives Foundation as part of Civic Season, an annual tradition that encourages young people to actively participate in our democracy and engage with public history institutions between Juneteenth and July 4th.


(In Person Only) Summer Movie: The Game Plan
Friday, June 23, 7 to 10 p.m. CT
The Pond, George Bush Presidential Library Pond, College Station, TX
Register to attend in-person
The second movie of our 2023 Summer Film Series will be The Game Plan. This biographical sports film from 2007 is about an NFL quarterback living the bachelor lifestyle who discovers that he has an eight-year-old daughter from a previous relationship.

Bachelor football star Joe Kingman (Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson) seems to have it all. He is wealthy and carefree, and his team is on the way to capturing a championship. Suddenly, he is tackled by some unexpected news: He has a young daughter (Madison Pettis), the result of a last fling with his ex-wife. Joe must learn to balance his personal and professional lives with the needs of his child. The Game Plan is rated PG, and is 1 hours and 52 minutes long.

Bring your blankets and lawn chairs as we enjoy this film under the stars. Games and free snacks (while supplies last) will begin at 7 p.m., and the movie will start just after sundown. Due to rising costs, we won't be providing a catered meal, but we will have extra packaged snacks on hand. You may bring your picnics and coolers, but please no pets or glass containers. 

This movie is being shown in conjunction with our upcoming exhibit A Spirit Can Ne’er Be Told... A Century of Aggie Football. Using original artifacts as well as historical photographs, documents, and audiovisual materials, A Spirit Can Ne’er Be Told… will create an immersive exhibition environment in which visitors will get an up-close look at the team’s history, from its first official football game in 1894, through the era of Coach Jimbo Fisher. The exhibit will highlight significant accomplishments, important coaches, and notable players, as well as the unique traditions and celebrations Aggies have known and loved for a century and counting. A Spirit Can Ne'er Be Told... will be on display in the Ansary Gallery of American History from August 28, 2023, until April 28, 2024.


(In-Person Only) Roosevelt Reading Festival
Saturday, June 24, 9:45 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET
Henry A. Wallace Center, Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum, Hyde Park, NY
The Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum will host the 19th annual Roosevelt Reading Festival. The daylong program will highlight the recently published work of 15 authors—including a special afternoon presentation with Jill Watts, author of The Black Cabinet: The Untold Story of African Americans and Politics During the Age of Roosevelt. List of Participating Authors. 

In six concurrent sessions taking place throughout the day, 15 authors of works that draw upon the Roosevelt Library archives—or focus on the Roosevelt era—will present author talks (and book signings). Copies of all the books will be available for sale in the New Deal Store. 

This is a free public event; registration is not required. The program begins at 9:45 a.m. with coffee and refreshments.


(Online only) Seven Virginians: The Men Who Shaped Our Republic
Tuesday, June 27, at 1 p.m. ET
Register to attend online; watch on the National Archives YouTube Channel 
Author John B Boyles reveals the integral role played by seven major Virginians before, during, and after the American Revolution: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, James Monroe, George Mason, Patrick Henry, and John Marshall. Most accounts of the founding generation focus only on the activities of the “big three”—Washington, Jefferson, and Madison—but Boles incorporates the key contributions of these other four important figures to the political and legal structures that govern the United States to this day. At the same time, Boles will discuss the Revolutionary generation’s problems and their fading from the scene, inaugurating the beginnings of Virginia’s political decline in the early 19th century.