Monday, September 9
NEXT GENERATION OF POLITICAL LEADERS/RUNNING FOR OFFICE
4:00 p.m. | Ganz Hall
This panel will feature a group of exciting young Illinois politicians who represent the next generation of political change in the state of Illinois and the nation. Panelists will tackle questions about the importance of political participation, the challenges facing young people who hope to break into the political system, and the ways that younger Americans might transform our gridlocked politics for the better.
Panelists
Will Guzzardi, Democratic Illinois state representative, 39th district
Erika N.L. Harold, 2018 Republican candidate for Illinois attorney general
Lamont J. Robinson Jr., Democratic Illinois state representative, 5th district
Moderator
Stephanie Farmer, associate professor of sociology, Roosevelt University
AMERICAN DREAM CONFERENCE
WOMEN’S LEADERSHIP RECEPTION
5:30 – 6:30 p.m. | Sullivan Room
Join us as we celebrate the contributions of women leaders to Roosevelt University and to Chicago’s academic, business, government and nonprofit communities. Network with local women trailblazers and aspiring leaders during this hors d’oeuvres reception.
NONPARTISAN LEADERSHIP IN DIFFICULT TIMES
7:00 p.m. | Ganz Hall
A conversation with Loretta Lynch, former U.S. attorney general (2015–17), on our polarized political climate and the future of nonpartisan leadership. An accomplished lawyer, Lynch was appointed by President Barack Obama to succeed Eric Holder as the 83rd Attorney General of the United States. She previously served as the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York under both President Bill Clinton (1999–2001) and Barack Obama (2010–15). As a U.S. Attorney, Lynch oversaw federal prosecutions in Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island and Long Island.
Presenter
Loretta Lynch, former U.S. attorney general (2015–17)
Moderator
Judge Ann Claire Williams, (Ret.)
Tuesday, September 10
THE NEW ARCHITECTURE OF VIOLENCE REDUCTION IN CHICAGO
Presented by the Adlai Stevenson Center on Democracy and the Institute for Nonviolence Chicago
1:00 p.m. | Ganz Hall
Violence in Chicago is a topic of local and national concern. While we have seen significant decreases in violence — the Austin community had a 47% reduction in violence from 2016 to 2018 — violence continues to plague Chicago. Past efforts have made some progress in some communities. More is needed. In 2016, the Institute for Nonviolence Chicago was established. Along with other partners, we began building a collaborative architecture of grassroots organizations working to reduce violence.
At this American Dream Reconsidered Session, the executive director of the Institute for Nonviolence Chicago and several leaders from our collaborative partner agencies will discuss the architecture of violence prevention in Chicago. Speakers include a range of administrators and practitioners overseeing and implementing Communities Partnering 4 Peace, READI Chicago, the Chicago Police Department and the Mayor’s Office of Public Safety to support and engage communities in short- and long-term violence reduction.
Panelists
Vaughn Bryant, director, Communities Partnering 4 Peace
Miguel Cambray, director of employment, READI Chicago
Ernest Cato III, 15th district commander, Chicago Police Department
Ric Estrada, chief executive officer, Metropolitan Family Services
Teny Oded Gross, founder and executive director, the Institute for Nonviolence Chicago
Invited: Susan Lee, deputy mayor of public safety, City of Chicago
ACTIVISM AND GRASSROOTS CHANGE
5:00 p.m. | Ganz Hall
Our panel on activism and grassroots change will feature nationally recognized grassroots activists and nonprofit leaders who spend their days working to make positive change on important social, economic and political issues of the day. Panelists will share their expertise on how to organize national campaigns, discuss the intersection of politics and social justice and talk together about the lessons of the past several years of activism, contentious politics and electoral outcomes.
Panelists
Ben Wikler, chair, Wisconsin Democratic Party
Sheerine Alemzadeh, cofounder, Healing to Action
Moderator
Bethany Barratt, professor of political science, Roosevelt University
AMERICAN DREAM CONFERENCE
ROOSEVELT YOUNG ALUMNI RECEPTION
6:30 – 7:30 p.m. | Sullivan Room
Join us for an exclusive hors d’oeuvres reception bringing together Roosevelt’s graduates of the last decade. Network with fellow alumni, reconnect with university faculty and staff, and socialize with community leaders. Learn about professional engagement opportunities as the university prepares to launch a Young Alumni Association.
Wednesday, September 11
FRANKLIN & ELEANOR ROOSEVELT DISTINGUISHED LECTURE
CENTER FOR NEW DEAL STUDIES
2:00 p.m. | Ganz Hall
Kelly Clements, the United Nations Deputy High Commissioner for Refugees, will present, “Refugee Inclusion and the Future of Humanitarian Response,” a unique perspective on the current global refugee crisis and how it is, and should be, confronted.
Hors d’oeuvres reception to follow, hosted by the Center for New Deal Studies.
Presenter
Kelly Clements, Deputy High Commissioner for Refugees, United Nations
VOTING RIGHTS AND VOTER SUPPRESSION
5:00 p.m. | Ganz Hall
There is no guarantee of voting rights in the U.S. Constitution, touching off a 200-year battle to secure the franchise for all American adults. Recent years have seen renewed controversy over the rights of former felons, Voter ID laws and partisan gerrymandering, have degraded the quality of American democracy and excluded millions from our electoral processes. This panel will gather a group of leading journalists and experts on voting rights to ask and debate difficult questions about how to move toward full voting equality for all Americans.
Panelists
David Daley, author of Ratf**ked and senior fellow, FairVote
Ami Gandhi, director of voting rights and civic empowerment, Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights
Moderator
David Faris, associate professor of political science, Roosevelt University
Thursday, September 12
LISTENING TO COMMUNITY VOICES
DISCUSSION AND LUNCHEON
12:00 p.m. | Ida B. Wells Lounge
Sponsored by:
How can corporations and foundations respond effectively to communities striving for the American Dream? This conversation with prominent community partners will include a luncheon sponsored by the Robert R. McCormick Foundation.
Panelists
Cecile De Mello, executive director, Teamwork Englewood
Caroline McCoy, program officer, communities' program, Robert R. McCormick Foundation
Clarita Santos, executive director of community health initiatives, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois
Moderator
Bettina Chang, editorial director, City Bureau
MANSFIELD INSTITUTE LECTURE: BEHOLD THE DREAMERS
12:30 p.m. | Goodman Center
Imbolo Mbue’s New York Times bestselling novel, Behold the Dreamers, is about marriage, immigration, class, race and the trapdoors in the American Dream. It is an unforgettable story of a young Cameroonian couple making a new life in New York just as the Great Recession upends the economy. This lecture is part of Roosevelt University’s Mansfield Lecture Series.
Presenter
Imbolo Mbue, author of Behold the Dreamers
A CONVERSATION WITH MELISSA CONYEARS-ERVIN
2:00 p.m. | Wabash 418
Sponsored by:
Melissa Conyears-Ervin, treasurer of the City of Chicago, discusses the value of mentorship, the commitment of being mentor/mentee, persistence in education, overcoming the challenges in building a professional career, and seeking help and advice along the way — because no one achieves success alone.
Presenter
Melissa Conyears-Ervin, treasurer of the City of Chicago
CITIZENSHIP, IMMIGRATION AND THE MEANING OF AMERICANNESS
5:00 p.m. | Ganz Hall
In 2018, President Trump proposed the end of birthright citizenship, and the status of immigrants has been a hot-button issue throughout his presidency. As immigrant rights come increasingly under fire, this panel will gather experts, activists and journalists from across the political spectrum to discuss America’s immigration wars, debate the path forward and ask how the enduring appeal of America for immigrants can be balanced with political currents and economic needs to produce a fair and equitable system of immigration for the modern era.
Panelists
Erika Andiola, chief advocacy officer, RAICES and political director, Our Revolution
Juan Escalante, digital campaigns manager, fwd.us
Mony Ruiz-Velasco, executive director, West Suburban Action Project
Moderator
Imbolo Mbue, author of Behold the Dreamers
Friday, September 13
COMMUNITY SERVICE DAY
8:00 a.m – 1:00 p.m.
Roosevelt’s founders were champions for social justice, inclusion and equal access to opportunity. To honor their legacy, join us for community service activities that combat hunger and support homeless communities in Chicago.
AMERICAN DREAM RECONSIDERED: THE DREAM OR THE NIGHTMARE
DISCUSSION AND LUNCHEON
1:00 p.m. | Ida B. Wells Lounge
In this presentation, Dr. Charles H.F. Davis III publicly wrestles with the current state of affairs. As our nation fails to be as good as its promise, Dr. Davis offers some historical grounding for making sense of today’s difficult realities and engages audience members in an exercise of imagination to envision a world in which we can all be free.
Presenter
Dr. Charles H.F. Davis III, director of research and chief strategy officer, USC Race and Equity Center, University of Southern California
Program is subject to change