Speakers, exhibits, film draw crowds

Despite the snowy conditions, nearly 400 Alaskans turned out for the League’s Democracy Fair, a four-hour dive into various aspects of democracy, Jan. 10 at the Z.J. Loussac Public Library. The event included speakers, a film, suffragette exhibit and 20 nonprofit tables offering interactive activities related to democracy. The Democracy Fair was made possible by a generous grant from the Atwood Foundation.

The exhibit hall was alive with crowds and activities.  Even the young folks participated, casting their votes at the Youth Voting station for their favorite book character, just like ranked choice voting. Thirty-three ballots were submitted and the clear winner was Roz, from The Wild Robot by Peter Brown. Second place went to write-in candidate Harry Potter.

The talks and presentations addressed the U.S. Constitution, democracy, local government, the judicial system, and media literacy. 

Thanks, too, to the Alaska State Museum and the Anchorage Public Library for collaborating with the League for the “Alaska’s Suffrage Star” exhibit, a display about little-known Alaska women who championed suffrage back in the day.

A nod to BearTooth Theatre Pub for donating gift cards and theater tickets as raffle prizes. The League is grateful to everyone who participated in the fair, as visitors, volunteers, speakers and exhibitors.