Oen and Wilford A. Johnson Lecture

About this event

Eddie S. Glaude, Jr., celebrated public intellectual and The New York Times bestselling author of Begin Again: James Baldwin’s America and Its Urgent Lessons for Our Own, will highlight concepts from his recent book, America, U.S.A: How Race Shadows the Nation’s Anniversaries. As the United States celebrates its 250th anniversary, America, U.S.A. presents a groundbreaking analysis of the vicious cycles of American history and the country’s enduring refusal to face its true nature—especially at moments when national anniversaries steer us back toward the mythology meant to disguise the truth. Professor Glaude calls on Americans to interrogate our conceptions of innocence and freedom, as well as the stories we tell ourselves about our past and present. America, U.S.A. offers a riveting look at the battles over who has a stake in writing the American story. Devastatingly candid, profoundly moving, and deeply reflective, the book is a shining meditation on how we must reckon with a grim past to strive for the better angels of our future. A highly accomplished and respected scholar of religion, Glaude is a former president of the American Academy of Religion. He is the James S. McDonnell Distinguished University Professor of African American Studies at Princeton University, a program he first became involved with shaping as a doctoral candidate in Religion at Princeton. He served as the inaugural chair of the department for more than fourteen years, and is also on the Morehouse College Board of Trustees. He frequently appears in the media as a commentator on various news shows and as a columnist for TIME Magazine. He also appears regularly on Meet the Press on Sundays. Combining a scholar’s knowledge of history, a political commentator’s take on the latest events, and an activist’s passion for social justice, Glaude challenges all of us to examine our collective American conscience. His lecture at Luther College is supported by funding from the Oen Fellowship and…

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