By Alice Myers
The John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum is a $20.8 million architectural masterpiece. Designed by I. M. Pei, construction was completed in 1979. The facility is located in a panoramic, 10-acre waterfront site on Columbia Point, a Dorchester peninsula with a glorious view of the city of Boston and the Harbor Islands.
The Dorchester Post spoke to Acting Director of the Library and Museum, James Roth. Built in honor of the memory of the 35th US President, John Fitzgerald Kennedy, Roth says it is important that he is immortalized in such a way because “He is a native son of Boston and Massachusetts.”
The concept of the museum exhibits and library is to “show a dynamic personality, not just one viewpoint. We try to show those viewpoints so that people can understand who he was as a complex human being, as well as the President of the United States.” Roth believes that reflecting this is essential “to get a sense of the man to understand him and to feel a connection.”
“President Kennedy is not just Boston’s own, he was a national and international figure, well regarded.”
—James Roth, Acting Director of the JFK Library and Museum
Part of the ethos behind the library and museum is to serve the “local, national and global communities.” The museum receives visitors from across the US, as well as across the globe. As Roth says, “President Kennedy is not just Boston’s own, he was a national and international figure, well regarded.”
Between 2010-2013, the museum used the social media platform Twitter as a way of connecting with audiences outside their direct geographical vicinity. They began a Twitter account tracking the 1960 Kennedy Presidential Campaign, and then his subsequent Presidency. Roth said this was part of them participating in “a national conversation.”
As well as offering an entertaining and informative day out through visitation to the museum and surrounding parkland, events are frequently held in the facility to engage with the local community. They currently run a Public Forum series in which guest speakers are brought in to discuss current affairs. Roth says this program “gives a depth and breadth to the engagement that the community can participate in.”
For the families, they offer Celebrate! The website says this series “highlights America’s rich and cultural diversity through the arts. This program is tied directly to President and Mrs. Kennedy’s concern for and support of the arts and culture in a democratic society.” Roth states Celebrate! “brings in a lot of local school children… We try to time those on holidays when they’re out of school.”
They also offer Free Fun Fridays, an annual event that allows free admission to the facilities. Roth says that the museum will “expect between 3-4,000 people that day. It’s a really nice community event.”
This is just one segment of how the museum tries to give back to the community. Roth says, “We have our educators go out into the schools and give lessons.” The use of the museum’s meeting rooms is also another benefit to the community, “We’re trying to… Create a sense of community where we live.”
Roth discusses an occasion in which the museum was used as a meeting place to aid a conflict pertaining to the community: “There was actually a problem with gangs, and so Boston Police Department had a meeting with the gang leaders here in the library, to try to resolve the warring gang members’ differences. It was not something that we advertised… And it’s not necessarily a part of a program that we’re doing, it’s just that’s what we’re doing as good neighbors. So we’re also trying to be good neighbors with people on the point here.”
It is an important part of the organization’s message that they “try to engage our citizenry as active citizens.” The museum encourages engagement, they say “participate: participate in your local government, participate in your community.” This participation is something that the museum facilitates, “come to the library and learn about how democracy worked in President Kennedy’s time. Participate in our forums, listen to the speakers that we have coming in.”
“If you are not going to participate, you are not going to get the full experience of being a citizen of the United States.”
Roth says, “We offer these programs for people to become involved. Without that active citizenry, you don’t institute changes.” The message that Roth wants the organization to communicate is that “if you are not going to participate, you are not going to get the full experience of being a citizen of the United States.” Avoiding alienation and isolation derived from lower participation rates is important to the museum.
As of part of JFK’s vision, and another way in which they engage with the local community is through naturalization ceremonies alongside Immigration and Naturalization Services for new citizens. The ceremony occurs every other month.
The JFK Library and Museum website state that it is “a model of public/private partnership.” It receives a portion of its funding from the federal government, but the majority of the balance is maintained through the “3 major areas of business that we do,” says James. This includes Museum admission, the Museum store, and the facility rentals. The website also lists “the generosity of thousands of private individuals, corporations and foundations” as a source of funding.
The Museum is open every day, 9AM-5PM. Entry is $14 for Adults, $10 for Teens and Free for under 12s. Discounted rates are available for Seniors, Students, and US Veterans. This year’s Free Fun Friday will be held on July 28. Ban Ki-moon will be the guest speaker at the museum on June 28.
