MUSEUMS CELEBRATE AMERICA'S FREEDOMS

WHEREAS, American museums are deeply involved in the life of their communities; using collections and exhibitions, they are centers of civic engagement with programs and services for families, communities, lifelong learners and schools; and

WHEREAS, on September 11, 2002 every American will reflect on both the tragedy of September 11, 2001 and on what it means to live in a country that values freedom; and

WHEREAS, as stewards of the nation's stories, museums offer their communities special places to examine and reaffirm such precious freedoms as:

• Freedom to assemble
• Freedom to create
• Freedom to worship
• Freedom to express ideas
• Freedom from fear; and

WHEREAS, involving the whole of the American museum community in a single initiative powerfully underscores the central role museums play in communities across the United States,

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the United States Conference of Mayors will join with the members of the American Association of Museums in "A Day of Remembrance and a Celebration of American Freedoms" on and around September 11, 2002, that will sponsor activities to continue the quest for understanding and inspiration and the need to safeguard the values that sustain American greatness.