Every American knows the words by heart, and people all over the world have taken them as inspiration: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness." America's history for the next 244 years can arguably be seen as a debate over what those words really mean. This talk will look at how abolitionists, women's suffrage advocates, foreign activists and revolutionaries, and civil rights leaders from the 1960s to today have returned to Thomas Jefferson's words to call on America to live up to its founding promise of liberty and justice for all.
Understand the document Abraham Lincoln called an "immortal emblem of humanity," and you'll understand all that America is and hopes to be.
Information about the speaker:
Matthew Underwood serves as Regional Public Engagement Specialist of the U.S. Embassy Kyiv, and overseeing the American Spaces programs for Ukraine and Moldova. He has been a diplomat since 2010, and served at U.S. Embassies in Kingston, Jamaica; Amman, Jordan; and Moscow, Russia before Kyiv. He lives in Ukraine with his wife, Alice, who is also a diplomat, and two daughters. Originally from Detroit, Michigan, he spent way too long in graduate school before joining the Foreign Service, working along the way as a museum guide, a wedding photographer, a test-prep coach, and breakfast chef at a B&B. Eventually, he earned a PhD in the History of Science.
We’ll be streaming this session to our Facebook page June 30th. Join us at 7:30 pm and feel free to ask any questions you have.
The United States is turning 244 this year. Each year for this occasion we would throw a huge party. Though this year, we do not have such opportunity due to quarantine, we still are going to have some fun.
This week we’ll be hosting few fun and interesting events, film screenings and contests with prizes. Make sure you check our Instagram and Facebook to see more updates. We would love to see you joining us virtually.