Ben Bedford delivers intriguing sketches of America, its individuals, their victories and their struggles. Poignant, but never sentimental, Bedford’s portrait-like songs capture the vitality of his characters and draw the listener deep into the narratives. From Cahokia and Wounded Knee, to Charlie Patton and the Mississippi Delta, the murder of Emmett Till and the continued racial injustices as evinced by Ferguson, to the migrant workers of Mexico and Central America, and the Asian immigrants who worked the gold mines of California and built the transcontinental railroad, to the incursion of European workers that populated the factories and farms of the Midwest, the United States truly is a melting pot of cultures from around the globe. We have caused great suffering to our own people and the world around us, but also accomplished compassionate and stunning feats of science, technology, and art. Bedford explores this dichotomy of cruelty and compassion and what makes the United States the unique place that it is.

Bedford will perform on the Coffeyville Community College campus on Tuesday, April 17, as part of the CCC Humanities Project. The public is invited to the 10:30 a.m. Tuesday humanities performances at CCC.  The performances are free and held in the Spencer/Rounds Performing Arts Theatre.

For more information about the humanities project at CCC, please call 620-251-7700, ext. 2166.