Tom Paine Day Film and Potluck

Monday, June 8, 6-8pm – FREE

Grow Benzie, 5885 Frankfort Hwy, Benzonia

Thomas Paine is known as the ‘Father of the American Revolution’, but many of us know very little about him. His legacy is that of a pivotal, radical Founding Father whose fiery pamphlets, Common Sense and The American Crisis, mobilized American independence in 1776. As an influential democratic theorist, he championed human rights, secularism, and social welfare, influencing revolutions in America and France, though his radical views often led to later unpopularity.

On this Tom Paine Day, also known as Freethinkers Day, join us to learn more about Tom Paine.  It’s a potluck, so bring a dish to share.  We’ll watch the film while we eat, then have a talk-back.  We’ll have some copies of Common Sense on hand and will be hosting follow-up book discussion groups on June 15th and June 25th.

This event is part of our celebration of America250 where Michiganders are being asked not simply to remember the nation’s founding, but to engage it honestly. Commemoration should never be passive. It should deepen understanding, broaden belonging, and strengthen civic life.