Printer Friendly Version - Interactive ‘First Amendment Wall’ at Branford’s Blackstone Library

Co-creator Laura Noe is shown here with the First Amendment Wall in 2019. The wall is now located at the Blackstone Library. A weekly question will be posted on the wall, inviting the community to respond. Sidewalk chalk and free pocket constitutions are provided. File Photo/The Sound

Originally installed at various locations the summer of 2019, the First Amendment Wall is once again on display in Branford.

The wall has been set up at an entrance to the James Blackstone Memorial Library as an interactive display. The installation was co-created and designed by resident Laura Noe and artist Yvonne Gordon Moser, using plywood and chalk paint.

A weekly question will be posted on the wall, inviting the community to respond. Sidewalk chalk and free pocket constitutions are provided. In addition, copies of Noe’s piece for the fall 2022 Branford Land Trust newsletter, entitled “Boundaries, Borders, Fences, and Open Spaces," are also available at the library resource desk. Noe wrote the piece with the theme of connection and democratic places in mind.

In recent years, our country has become more divisive. When The First Amendment Wall was first installed in 2019, our country was split politically. The past two and a half years of living COVID has caused much isolation, and the re-installment hopes to reunite, connect, and create a neutral space for reflection. The First Amendment Wall is intentionally installed at a democratic place, the library, and hopes to create a democratic space, where all voices can be heard and respected.

One of the beauties of living in a democracy is freedom of expression. The First Amendment protects, among other rights, our right to freedom of speech. Citizenship requires participation and The First Amendment Wall offers an opportunity for opposing viewpoints to live harmoniously. Citizenship also requires knowledge of our rights and the free pocket constitutions are offered so we all can participate in our democracy with greater knowledge. When we allow other viewpoints and perspectives to coexist, we can collectively cultivate empathy.

You are invited to share your thoughts on the wall. Be creative! The wall will be cleaned weekly, and a new question will be offered. Please be respectful and use language that is considerate of all ages.