By: Margaret Rung, Professor of History & Director, Center for New Deal Studies What can a POTUS and FLOTUS from the 1% teach us about the American Dream? A great deal, it turns out. Facing a … Read More about The Roosevelts and the American Dream
Featured Speakers
Eric H. Holder, Jr.
The Honorable Eric H. Holder, Jr., 82nd Attorney General of the United States (2009-2015), Partner, Covington & Burling LLP
Eric H. Holder, Jr. is an attorney who served as the 82nd Attorney General of the United States from 2009 to 2015. He was the first African American to serve in that position and was the third-longest-serving attorney general in the nation’s history. Holder previously served as a judge of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia and as United States Attorney for the District of Columbia.
In July 2001, Holder joined the Washington, D.C. law firm of Covington & Burling as a partner in the firm’s litigation practice group, where he represented clients in complex civil and criminal cases as well as internal corporate investigations. After his departure from the Department of Justice, Holder returned to Covington & Burling and is resident in their Washington office. He focuses on complex litigation and investigatory matters that are international in scope and raise significant enforcement issues and substantial reputational concerns.
Holder has received numerous awards and honorary degrees in recognition of his professional and civic contributions, including the NAACP “Chairman’s Award,” the Department of Justice’s “John F. Keeney
Award,” the District of Columbia Bar Association’s “Beatrice Rosenberg Award,” George Washington University’s “Martin Luther King, Jr. Medal for Outstanding Service in Human Rights,” and the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights’ “Robert F. Kennedy Justice Prize.”
Common
An Academy Award, Golden Globe, Emmy and Grammy-winning actor and musician, Common continues to break down barriers with a multitude of critically acclaimed, diverse roles, and continued success at the box office.
Common was most recently featured on Andra Day’s song for Open Road Films’ MARSHALL soundtrack, “Stand Up for Something,” co-written by Common and eight-time Academy Award-nominee Diane Warren. The original song has received Oscar, Grammy, NAACP, and Critic Choice Award nominations, as well as the “Hollywood Song Award” at the 2017 Hollywood Film Awards.
More than 10 years ago, Common committed his time and resources to help inner-city youth in his hometown of Chicago. The Common Ground Foundation reaches high school students through programs that focus on character development, social impact, healthy living, technology, financial literacy, creative arts and global leadership.
On average, Common Ground Foundation students have improved or maintained a 3.16 GPA and have a 100% graduation rate. Of this, 97% of seniors are attending a four-year college and the Common Ground Foundation’s students have completed more than 2,600 hours of community service.
Blog Posts
Conquering My American Dream
By Niya Weathers (BA Political Science, ’18) What is the American Dream to me? The American Dream is opportunity for all, the ability of our nation to provide us with basic public goods, along with … Read More about Conquering My American Dream
Pay It Forward: The American Dream
By Karla Ortiz (BA Political Science, ’18) Everyone living in this country has his or her own definition of what the American Dream means. The struggles we have surpassed and the ones we are facing … Read More about Pay It Forward: The American Dream
A Millennial Roosevelt Alum Contemplates the American Dream
It is a longstanding Italian custom to name your children after their grandparents. The tradition is a tremendous honor. It is also a way for a person’s memory to live on through another, even after … Read More about A Millennial Roosevelt Alum Contemplates the American Dream