Knowledge is Power
July 22, 2026 by Veronica Jorge in category Write From the Heart by Veronica Jorge tagged as Banned Books, books, George Peabody Library, St. Petersburg Florida, The Library, Veronica Jorge
Anniversaries are festive occasions marking milestones and accomplishments. We recount experiences and memories; some sad, but hopefully mostly joyful. We celebrate the depth and richness of our shared lives.
Anniversaries are also a time for looking back to where we have been and how far we have traveled. We also peek forward to catch a glimpse of that which is to come.
It seems fitting that the United States of America is doing the same in 2026 during its 250th anniversary. Documentaries, films, community activities, art, and books continue to explore the American experiment of democracy, freedom, and the equality and rights of all people as the nation, in its ever-changing cultural and political metamorphosis, engages in ongoing discussions of education, free speech, the role of the arts, and banned books.
So, I was delighted when on a recent trip to St. Petersburg, Florida, I chanced upon a restaurant named, The Library. Bookshelves lined the walls filled with volumes of books. Giant round lighting hung from the ceiling reminding me of the light bulb that appears in comic strips on the top of a character’s head when a brilliant idea illuminates them. The aroma of coffee and good food wafted through the air in this space modeled after the George Peabody Library in Baltimore, Maryland. Peabody believed in the power and importance of education and built an institute for the citizens of Baltimore dedicated for that purpose. What a great place for nourishment of body and mind.
At the nearby Museum of Fine Arts, The Last Library IV Written In Water, an installation by Ward Shelley and Douglas Paulson, intrigued and energized me. On tilted shelves filled with banned books, the artists also placed fake archives, and political propaganda alongside the Magna Carta and the Declaration of Human Rights.
According to the information plaque, the installation, like a real library, honors the written word, but the artists challenge the viewer to find the truth among alternative facts, confusing sources, and language shaped by artificial intelligence. We are asked to think about how much we can trust the written word, and causes us to even wonder about the future of democracy.
Art and books reveal that these important topics will always remain relevant and are conversations worthy of continual study and exploration for a nation and its people to live up to its founding principles and values.
Happy Birthday, America. Keep the dream alive. Make it a reality for all.
Veronica Jorge
See you next time on August 22nd!
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