History Center Partners with Smithsonian and Museums Nationwide to Host Inspiring Civics Programming
The Senator John Heinz History Center, the Smithsonian’s home in Pittsburgh, will join 400+ museums and organizations nationwide for the Fourth Annual Civic Season, held in partnership with the Smithsonian and the History Made By Us national coalition.
The Heinz History Center will join 400+ museums and organizations nationwide for the Fourth Annual Civic Season, held in partnership with the Smithsonian and the History Made By Us national coalition. To kick off the campaign, the museum will host “Slice of History: A Civic Season Happy Hour” on June 14, featuring free pizza, a cash bar, and networking with the region’s leading civics organizations.
A new tradition co-created by Gen Z and America’s leading cultural institutions, the Civic Season kicks off on Flag Day (June 14) and spans from Juneteenth through the Fourth of July. For nearly three weeks, young Americans are encouraged to engage in civics through social media, live events, volunteering opportunities, and more.
Participants can take an online quiz to discover their “civic superpowers,” exchange ideas on how to improve our democracy, and attend virtual programs at History Made By Us partner organizations throughout America by logging on to TheCivicSeason.com.
In Pittsburgh, the History Center will host several programs during Civic Season, including a kickoff happy hour, a citizenship ceremony in partnership with USCIS, in-depth panel discussions, and more:
Flag Day Folding Ceremony
June 14 • 11:30 a.m. • Heinz History Center
Participate in the unfurling and folding of a giant 36-foot American flag on Flag Day and reflect upon the civic democracy and history that the flag represents.
Slice of History: A Civic Season Happy Hour
June 14 • 5-7 p.m. • Heinz History Center
Bring your friends for conversation, happy hour drinks, and free pizza after regular museum hours. Enjoy free pizza provided by Pizza to the Polls and discover how you can get involved while networking with the region’s leading civics organizations, registering to vote, and hanging out with Pittsburghers who are making a difference in our community! Slice of History includes special after-hours access to the History Center’s new exhibition, A Woman’s Place: How Women Shaped Pittsburgh, which tells the stories of barrier-breaking Western Pa. women who helped change the world. Explore rare artifacts like protest posters, buttons, and objects that tell the story of women’s suffrage and how Pittsburghers took civic action to impact the nation’s laws. Register here.
USCIS Naturalization Ceremony
June 20 • 11 a.m. • Heinz History Center
The History Center and the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will welcome new U.S. citizens during a special Naturalization Ceremony. Families and visitors will watch as immigrants become American citizens as part of this pivotal milestone in the naturalization process.
Cocktails & Conversations: Wars of Empire and Liberty
June 20 • 6–7:30 p.m. • Heinz History Center
Join the History Center President and CEO Andy Masich and Fort Pitt Museum Assistant Director Michael Burke for an evening filled with delicious drinks and little-known stories about Western Pennsylvania’s impact on the French & Indian War and the American Revolution, as told in the History Center'sWars of Empire and Liberty exhibition. Register here.
Keystone Stories: Uncovering the Legacies of Pennsylvania Women
June 30 • 2–3:30 p.m. • Heinz History Center
Join the History Center for a panel discussion exploring the art of uncovering women’s untold stories throughout history. The panel will include authors Kimberly Hess and Eliza Smith Brown as they share their unique investigate processes for reclaiming the narratives of overlooked women in history. This program is held in conjunction with the History Center’s new exhibition, A Woman’s Place: How Women Shaped Pittsburgh. Register here.
Brown v. Board and Civil Rights: A Commemoration
July 2 • 6–8 p.m. • Heinz History Center
Join the African American Program for a conversation marking the 70th anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education and the 60th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. In recognition of the Supreme Court’s landmark decision and the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the program will feature a discussion with teachers, activists, and students to discuss this seminal moment in history and its impact today. Register here.
Fourth at the Fort
July 4 • 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. • Fort Pitt Museum
The Fort Pitt Museum will kick off Fourth of July festivities in Pittsburgh with its annual Fourth at the Fort event in Point State Park. At 1 p.m., Fort Pitt Museum staff, scouts, and local veterans will help kick off the Fourth of July holiday by raising a 36-foot American flag. The ceremony will commence in the Fort Pitt Block House yard, thanks to an ongoing partnership with the Pittsburgh Chapter of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution, owners of the Fort Pitt Block House – the oldest building in the region. Following the flag raising ceremony, visitors can enjoy a family-friendly afternoon of living history demonstrations and tour an exact replica of George Washington’s Revolutionary War tent, on loan from the Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia.
For more information and to register for programs, visit heinzhistorycenter.org/events.