Hope and Opportunity:
The Future and Possibility of the American Dream
The last 30 months have been tumultuous as America has faced a series of crises — a global pandemic that brought the economies of the world to a standstill, a bitterly contested presidential election that ended with baseless claims of election fraud and left the nation as divided as ever, and a rise in politically motivated violence and extremism that culminated with an attack on the Capitol itself.We believe that this conference provides an occasion to refocus our attention on the future — on how social justice can be promoted in the areas of health care, education and culture, and how the idea of the American Dream can sustain us with a new vision of hope and opportunity.
Roosevelt University president Ali Malekzadeh founded the annual conference in 2016.
Past speakers include:
- U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg
- Musician, actor and activist Common
- Former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder Jr.
- Political analyst David Axelrod
- Best-selling author Imbolo Mbue
Learn more about Roosevelt University at roosevelt.edu.
Conference co-chairs:
Andy Trees, Visiting Professor of Political Science
2022 American Dream Conference Steering Committee
Nicole Barron, Vice President, University Advancement, Chief Development Officer
Keturah Brown, Director of Conference Services
Kathy Bliss, Executive Assistant to the President
Amanda DePalma, Director of Brand Marketing
Michael Ford, Vice President, Chief of Staff
Mike Kaluzny, Associate Vice President, Marketing & Communications
