In recent developments out of Atlanta, three literary functions originally slated for the Jimmy Carter presidential grounds have been repurposed and shifted to alternative locations. These changes have triggered alarm bells amongst many, fearing it may have been the consequence of various modifications and budgetary constraints imposed by President Donald Trump’s governance.
The relocated operations were initially intended to be hosted within the premises of the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum. These abrupt modifications were communicated to the respective publishers last week. The scheduled authors covered areas like civil rights, climate change, and the problem of homelessness, sparking speculation that the reasons behind this move could be politically motivated.
“It would be a leap to suggest that the subject of my book has directly led to this decision,” said author Elaine Weiss. She was expecting to deliver a speech on her recent work – ‘Spell Freedom: The Underground Schools that Built the Civil Rights Movement’. Yet, Weiss hinted at a possible link between the topic of her book and the sudden change in venue.
Weiss expressed her viewpoint earlier this week stating, “It could be a possibility that the book’s content played a role in the decision. The idea is not entirely improbable.” It’s noteworthy that although these events were withdrawn from the Carter Library’s online schedule, the website continues to list various other events.
Unfortunately, nothing much can be inferred at present. Despite multiple attempts, neither the library nor the managing body – National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) – responded to the queries on Friday. A statement by the federal agency to The New York Times communicated that every presidential library leadership holds the authority to administer the programming decisions.
NARA in its statement emphasized, “Each event or program must essentially align with and encourage NARA’s core purpose: to safeguard and make the U.S. records accessible to the public. Thus, the leadership at the Carter Presidential Library has the liberty to independently decide on scheduling their events.”
The Carter Library is an institution distinct from the Carter Center, despite both being located within the intown Atlanta campus. Founded by former President Jimmy Carter and his wife, Rosalynn, the Carter Center came into existence post the presidential re-election loss in 1980.
In addition to Weiss, the authors impacted by these unplanned modifications include Mike Tidwell – author of ‘The Lost Trees of Willow Avenue: A Story of Climate and Hope on One American Street’ – and Brian Goldstone, whose work ‘There Is No Place for Us’ chronicles the lives of five ‘working homeless’ families in Atlanta.
Expressing disappointment over the cancellation of his event scheduled for April 7, Tidwell revealed that ‘potential budget reductions’ were cited as the cause behind this change. However, his event was fortunately rescheduled on the same date at a different venue.
News of this change had reached Crown, the publisher of Goldstone’s book, earlier this week through local independent bookstore, A Cappella Books. It’s worth noting that these abrupt event cancels seem to coincide with the Trump administration’s ongoing budget-trimming venture that’s impacting various federal sectors.
Frank Reiss, the proprietor of A Cappella Books, has organized numerous events in collaboration with the library. He’s noted that these simultaneous cancellations have led to growing concerns among various planned participants.
Joining the conversation, Weiss expressed apprehension that the sudden cancellations signify an impending shift commencing with the second term of President Trump’s administration. Her book event, which was initially scheduled for March 12 at the Carter Library, had to be moved to the Decatur Library.
In Weiss’s words, “It seems like such changes are happening across the board. The reasons for the publishers not raising their voices against it are still unknown.” Being proactive about her concerns, Weiss revealed, “I am extremely concerned that this is a more extensive issue. I won’t just sit back and stay silent.”