Park City Institute Presents An Evening With ACLU Executive Director, Anthony Romero,

The Park City Institute presents an evening with Anthony Romero, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union. Romero will discuss "Civil Rights in an Uncivil Time." The event is part of the Park City Institute's 20th Anniversary Main Stage Season at the George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Center for the Performing Arts.

"Wherever you stand on the political spectrum, Anthony Romero's cultural commentary will give you a lot to think about," said Park City Institute Executive Director Teri Orr. "His view from the front lines of defending America's freedoms give him a unique perspective on the ways art, politics and freedom intersect."

Of the mission of the ACLU, Romero has said, "We have a longstanding history of defending the rights of groups with whom we fundamentally disagree." It is this sentiment that will, in part, drive the talk on April 3. Romero's role-and his personal stake in many corners of the American political landscape-will inform his remarks, as well.

"Romero is the first Latino person, and the first openly-gay man to hold the position of Executive Director at the ACLU," said Orr. "We are looking forward to hearing his perspective on criminal justice reform, on the art and science of politics, and the ways personal and collective freedoms matter in our society."

Raised in Harlem, New York, by Puerto Rican parents, the Stanford and Princeton-educated attorney and advocate has presided over the most successful growth in the ACLU's history, dramatically increasing its membership, national and affiliate staff, and budget. Romero also expanded the ACLU's nationwide litigation, lobbying, political advocacy, and public education efforts.

"We bring who we are to our job," Romero told Time Magazine. "When you've seen prejudice, you understand that we aren't finished, that we're still perfecting this American experiment."

Throughout Romero's tenure, the ACLU has pursued aggressive litigation and advocacy challenging the greatest injustices of our time, including: high-profile litigation and lobbying efforts to win the freedom to marry for same-sex couples; a nationwide campaign to depopulate the prisons and jails by 50 percent; representation of Edward Snowden; the establishment of a project to assist in the defense of terrorism suspects being tried by military commission in Guantánamo; and an innovative legal challenge to the patents held by a private company on the human genes associated with breast and ovarian cancer.

In 2005, Romero was named one of Time Magazine's 25 Most Influential Hispanics in America, and he has received dozens of public service awards and an honorary doctorate from the City University of New York School of Law. In 2007, Romero and NPR correspondent Dina Temple-Raston published In Defense of Our America: The Fight for Civil Liberties in the Age of Terror, a book that takes a critical look at civil liberties in this country at a time when constitutional freedoms are in peril.

Tickets to An Evening with Anthony Romero, are available at parkcityinstitute.org, or by calling the box office at 435-655-3114. Individual tickets range from $29 to $79. Discounts are available for children (16 and under), seniors, and Summit County students (K-12). Call the Box Office at 435-655-3114 for more information. The Box Office is located within the Eccles Center (1750 Kearns Boulevard, Park City). Box office hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, and from noon through show time, on the day of a performance.

**PCI MEMBERSHIP EXCLUSIVE: Season punch cards of 10 are available for $240 (sapphire) $420 (ruby) and $690 (amethyst). For membership information, please visit parkcityinstitute.org.

Park City Institute is a non-profit organization, dedicated to bringing world-class performances and new ideas to the community. Since 1998, PCI has presented internationally renowned and cutting edge musicians, actors, authors, comedians, dancers, speakers, and film, at the George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Center for the Performing Arts (a joint-use facility with the Park City School District). The organization will embark on its 15th season of headliner concerts, next summer. PCI is dedicated to introducing young people to the arts through free student outreach workshops, shows and demonstrations. Since 2010, PCI has offered a free, after-school literacy program to students in grades one through 12 at the thinky and fun tutoring hub, The Mega-Genius Supply Store and IQ HQ (located at 435 Swede Alley)

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