Constitutional Chats Live Podcast
Hosted by Janine Turner and Cathy Gillespie
Topic: Little Known Signers of the Declaration of Independence: Roger Sherman
When: Tuesday 6/22/2021 at 2:00 pm Eastern
Special Guest: Tom Hand
Join Janine Turner, Cathy Gillespie, & Constituting America’s Student Ambassadors as we chat with Constitutional experts on hot-topic issues via Zoom! You are not on camera but may ask questions via Q&A! Ambassadors: Tova Love Kaplan, Dakare Chatman, Jewel Gilbert, & Jorne Gilbert.
Tom Hand is the creator and publisher of Americana Corner, a site he started in 2020. Tom is a West Point graduate, Class of 1982, who created Gilman Cheese Corporation after leaving the military. Upon selling his company, Tom retired and moved to Georgia.
Tom spends most of his time writing for Americana Corner and helping charities with a focus on early America. Tom serves on the Board of Trustees for the American Battlefield Trust and the National Park Foundation’s National Council. He enjoys reading books on American history and classic novels, as well as gardening, playing his guitar and singing, and traveling the byways and waterways of America.
The motivation for the blog and newspaper column was Tom’s desire to help spread the American Word, a positive message of America’s incredible founding and first century of expansion. Tom hopes to remind his fellow citizens why we all should be grateful for the blessings of this wonderful country.
From the American Revolution to the settlement of the American West, from the Declaration of Independence to the Emancipation Proclamation, and from George Washington to Abraham Lincoln, Americana Corner contains positive stories of the great events, founding documents, and inspirational leaders who helped create and shape our country.
Each article also suggests great books to read and wonderful places to visit related to each topic. Perhaps most importantly, Tom discusses why all those events and people from so long ago still matter to us today.
Tom hopes you will dive into his articles and send him your feedback. The site is designed to be informative and interactive. Welcome aboard Americana Corner!
Click Here to Like Tom’s Facebook Page Americana Corner. Click Here to follow Tom’s Instagram Account.
Meet the Hosts
Janine Turner
Actress Janine Turner is famous for her role as Maggie O’Connell in televisions’ Northern Exposure. She is the Founder and Co-President of Constituting America which launched in 2010. She is still acting but she is also actively teaching kids about the U.S. Constitution given over 540 speeches to classrooms across the country.
Cathy Gillespie
Cathy Gillespie is the co-president of Constituting America and one of 16 private citizens serving on the U.S. Semiquincentennial Commission, helping organize the celebration of our country’s 250th birthday in 2026! She is a former Congressional Chief of Staff and former Commissioner of the White House Fellows Commission.
Tova Love Kaplan
Tova Love Kaplan is seventeen years old and lives in Chicago, Illinois. She currently serves as the National Youth Director for Constituting America, and runs the National Youth Advisory Council. She is a three-time winner of the “We the Future” contest and is passionate about educating and empowering young people to use their constitutional rights!
Jewel Gilbert
Jewel Gilbert is Executive Producer of Sing for America, a family based company that he founded with his brother Jorne. Sing For America seeks to show the art of Truth and Light through live performance. Both Jewel and his brother are proud former We The People contest winners! Sing For America is an actor-run theatre company which specializes in semi-professional musicals, private training in the arts, school drama solutions, and public entertainment events all while revealing a colorblind world onstage. Jewel and his brother are graduates of Moravian College, where they each earned a BA in Musical Performance and Dramatic Production.
Jorne Gilbert
Jorne Gilbert is Operations Director of Sing for America, aa family based company that he founded with his brother Jewel. Sing For America seeks to show the art of Truth and Light through live performance. Both Jorne and his brother are proud former We The People contest winners! Sing For America is an actor-run theatre company which specializes in semi-professional musicals, private training in the arts, school drama solutions, and public entertainment events all while revealing a colorblind world onstage. Jorne and his brother are graduates of Moravian College, where they each earned a BA in Musical Performance and Dramatic Production.