American Heroes, Past and Present

Posted on June 26, 2012 by LBCommuter

Nora Palmtag | Staff Writer

Ray Brown, via sonoflibertywalk.blogspot.com

On the Fourth of July at the Linn County Courthouse, LBCC’s Democracy Club will host a star-spangled tribute to great Americans called “American Heroes” from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. There will be at least five local heroes who were nominated by others in the Linn County area, who will receive the local Hero Award. There will also be six persons reenacting great historians.
Among the recent heroes will be Ray Brown, former history instructor, who walked across America educating people about the Constitution and Bill of Rights. Brown will recite the Declaration of Independence from memory and show off 25 flags which have flown over America.
Brown shared his experiences from the coast-to-coast walk, departing from the Pacific Ocean in Florence during June 2010 and ending at the Atlantic Ocean in Atlantic City, N.J. in December 2011; he described these events at LBCC on February 13, 2012.
In his blog, Brown wrote that he “tried to raise an interest in the study of American history and of the importance of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. It has been encouraging that all – and I really mean all – have expressed concern for our civil liberties – our freedoms as Americans. Republicans or Democrats, Left or Right, Red State or Blue – everyone is in agreement that the ideals and principles upon which this country was founded are still important to us today.”
The live reenactors in historical dress are:
Katie Winder as Abigail Adams, wife of John Adams
Michael Winder as Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president
Leslie Hammond as Rosie the Riveter, commonly used as a symbol of feminism and women’s economic power
Dan Stone as Teddy Roosevelt, the 26th president
Arfa Aflatooni as Walt Whitman, an American poet, essayist and journalist
Elnora Palmtag as Harriett Tubman, an African-American abolitionist, humanitarian, and Union spy during the American Civil War
LBCC’s Robert Harrison realized that there weren’t any events planned last year, and this is the first time the Democracy Club has put this on. Harrison is hoping this is the beginning of a great tradition in this area, and stressed that people will be able to meet and listen to great American heroes in historical dress from our past.
This event is free to all, so bring a picnic lunch and a blanket, enjoy the music in the park, tour Monteith house, and learn about the story of Albany’s stolen cannon.

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“American Heroes,” sponsored by LBCC’s Student Democracy Club, takes place at the Linn County Courthouse (4th and Ellsworth Ave, downtown Albany) on July 4 between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. For more information, contact professor Robert Harrison at 541-917-4571.