ACLU to sponsor forum on ‘right to know’

A forum about the “people’s right to know” will be at 7 p.m. Thursday at the Lawrence Arts Center, 940 N.H.

“What you don’t know (and can’t find out) may hurt you” is the theme of the forum, which is sponsored by the Douglas County American Civil Liberties Union.

The guest speakers will be: Ann Gardner, editorial page editor at the Journal-World; Steve Lopes, secretary-treasurer for Douglas County ACLU; and Bill Tuttle, professor of American studies at Kansas University.

The forum is free and open to the public.

‘CSA’ filmmaker appears on ‘River City’

Lawrence filmmaker Kevin Willmott talks about his film “CSA: The Confederate States of America” with host Greg Hurd on “River City Weekly.”

A portion of the interview was conducted at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, where Willmott recently screened “CSA.” Other portions of the show are from encores of prior interviews with Willmott.

“CSA” is a faux documentary depicting an America in which the South won the Civil War, complete with mock commercials featuring products geared toward a society still practicing slavery.

“River City Weekly” premieres on Sunflower Broadband Channel 6 at 6:30 p.m. Wednesdays with encore presentations at 7:30 weeknights, 8:30 weekday mornings and 9 a.m. Saturdays.

Bleeding Kansas lecture series to begin

Lecompton — The first of five free lectures about “Bleeding Kansas” will be at 2 p.m. Sunday in Constitution Hall.

Nicole Etcheson, University of Texas history professor, will talk about “Bleeding Kansas: Contested Liberty in the Civil War Era.”

Etcheson also has written a book with the same title and will be available to sign it later.

The lectures are sponsored by the Kansas State Historical Society and will be at 2 p.m. Sundays throughout February.

The other lectures:

• Feb. 8: “Blanton’s Crossing on the Wakarusa: Gateway to the Free State Fortress and Beyond,” by Fred Six, retired Kansas Supreme Court justice.
• Feb. 15: “Englishmen in Kansas: Richard Realf, Free State Poet and Soldier,” by Carole Realff, University of Sussex, England.
• Feb. 22: “Unfortunate Annie and Saintly Sara: The Women of Bleeding Kansas,” by Michelle Martin, instructor of history, Fort Scott Community College.
• Feb. 29: “The Secret Danites: Kansas’ First Jayhawkers,” by Todd Mildfelt, educator and author.