Action Speaks is a series of contemporary topic-driven panel discussions framed by the theme “Underappreciated Dates that Changed America.” The panels take place Wednesdays in October, National Arts & Humanities Month, at AS220 in downtown Providence. They are recorded, edited, and rebroadcast the following Sunday on Rhode Island’s NPR station, WRNI 1290 AM. Films pertaining to the topics are shown each Monday on Rhode Island PBS prior to Wednesday’s panel discussion, providing a multi-media foundation for each issue.

For 12 years, Action Speaks has been committed to enhancing cultural life in the capital by providing high-quality, intellectually unbiased discourse between scholars, artists, students, and citizens.

Terms like “creative cities,” “cultural revival,” and “urban revitalization” are on everyone’s lips. Action Speaks takes these ideals and makes them real, drawing a diverse audience downtown to participate in a hybrid of two lost forms of community exchange —the intellectual debate of the café and the good-old sparring of the town hall meeting.

As our world grows increasingly complex, Action Speaks provides a venue for fellow citizens to engage in thoughtful discussions about history, culture, and current events. Action Speaks democratizes public dialogue by bringing people from all walks of life together to discuss the under-appreciated moments in our shared history.

Hosted by Marc Joel Levitt at AS220

Action Speaks wishes to thank the following sponsors for supporting our 2007 season: AS220 Board, Cady House, City Kitty, Farmstead and Symposium Books.