Constitution Day Programming
Join the Office of
Student Engagement in the celebration of Constitution Day September 17th!
About Constitution Day:
Constitution Day and
Citizenship Day is observed each year on September 17 to commemorate the
signing of the Constitution on September 17, 1787, and “recognize all who, by
coming of age or by naturalization, have become citizens.”
This commemoration had its origin in 1940, when Congress passed
a joint resolution authorizing and requesting the President to issue annually a
proclamation setting aside the third Sunday in May for the public recognition
of all who had attained the status of American citizenship. The
designation for this day was “I Am An American Day.”
In 1952 Congress repealed this joint resolution and passed a new
law moving the date to September 17 to commemorate “the formation and signing,
on September 17, 1787, of the Constitution of the United States.” The day was
still designated as “Citizenship Day” and retained its original purpose of
recognizing all those who had attained American citizenship. This law urged
civil and educational authorities of states, counties, cities and towns to make
plans for the proper observance of the day and “for the complete instruction of
citizens in their responsibilities and opportunities as citizens of the United
States and of the State and locality in which they reside.”
In 2004 under Senator Byrd's urging, Congress changed the
designation of this day to "Constitution Day and Citizenship Day" and
added two new requirements in the commemoration of this Day. The first is that
the head of every federal agency provide each employee with educational and
training materials concerning the Constitution on September 17th. The second is
that each educational institution which receives Federal funds should hold a
program for students every September 17th.
September 17
Events:
- Check
out a video telling the origins of the Constitution in lower Surbeck
- Visit
the Surbeck Information desk for a FREE pocket constitution (while supplies last)
- Students!
Drop off your completed constitution quiz at the Surbeck Information Desk for a
chance to win a pair of movie tickets
- Check
out the voter registration info posted around Surbeck and the digital screens
- Library of Congress 2020 Constitution and Citizenship Day Event:
September 17th
The
Law Library of Congress and the Library of Congress Center for Learning,
Literacy and Engagement invite you to our 2020 Constitution and Citizenship Day
event, "The Bulwark of Freedom": African-American Members of Congress
and the Constitution During Reconstruction<http://blogs.loc.gov/law/2020/08/constitution-day-2020-the-bulwark-of-freedom-african-american-members-of-congress-and-the-constitution-during-reconstruction/>,
on September 17th at 3 p.m. EDT. This year's lecture will be an online event
and will be given by Michael J. Murphy, a historical publication specialist in
the Office of the Historian for the U.S. House of Representatives<https://history.house.gov/>.
Learn about the lives of the first African Americans to serve in the United
States Congress during Reconstruction and the challenges they faced. To
register for this lecture, please visit our Eventbrite<https://constitutionday2020.eventbrite.com/>
page
What: Webinar
with Amy Scott-Stoltz, League of Women Voters South Dakota
When: September 17, 2020, 4 pm MDT
Register Here: https://tinyurl.com/aauwrc-lwv-webinar