Please join us on October 6 for the Tuesday Noon Academy with Hao Huang, Professor of Music; Bessie and Cecil Frankel Endowed Chair in Music from Scripps College:
“I feel that I am a citizen of the American dream and that the revolutionary struggle of which I am a part is a struggle against the American nightmare.” -Eldridge Cleaver
“I believe that it is higher education’s purpose and calling to keep open the door to the American dream.” -Gordon Gee
The American Dream means different things to different people in this country, and it both unites and divides us. As a child of immigrants, I am but one of many, including our present President, who would not be here if our parents had not been inspired by hope for freedom and opportunity for their children. However, the public expressions of virulent anti-immigration bias that enjoy popular support demonstrate that for some, the American Dream is an exclusive principle. Furthermore, it is inflected by racist, sexist and other exploitative practices that are part of the social structure of the USA. In fact, recent events prove that structural violence continues to be practiced by America as a nation that has selectively deprived people not just of the Dream, but of life itself. This talk will seek to explore the historical and cultural contexts of “the Dream”, and will explore how Americans dream, past and present.
Doors to the Hampton Room open at 11:45 a.m. Please invite your friends, students, and colleagues!
Presentation does not begin until 12:15 p.m.