What’s your perspective on the state of our union?
During the week of Jan. 25, NIU’s P-20 Center will facilitate three community reflections where local residents can share their personal experiences on important issues facing the nation and the world.
These events will be hosted as “story circles” where residents take turns sharing personal stories and ideas. From there, residents’ collective stories will be incorporated into a report and circulated nationwide through publications, videos and social media.
Join a group of neighbors and share your perspectives on the state of the union at one of these events:
- Monday, Jan. 25
7:15 to 9 p.m., New Hope Baptist Church, 1201 Twombly Road - Wednesday, Jan. 27
5:30 to 7:30 p.m., DeKalb County Community Foundation, 475 DeKalb Ave., Sycamore - Thursday, Jan. 28
6:30 to 8:30 p.m., DeKalb Public Library, 309 Oak St.
Registration is not required, but interested residents can secure seats online.
President Obama’s recent State of the Union address was, as always, a broadcast from one to many. But democracy is a conversation, not a monologue. Understanding the state of our union takes “We the People” reflecting in our own communities on our local, national, and global challenges and opportunities.
Each of the DeKalb County reflections will be facilitated by Tracy Rogers-Tryba, a research fellow at NIU’s P-20 Center.
“As citizens, we know we have to change the story to change the world,” Rogers-Tryba says.
“The People’s State of the Union is an invitation to dive in, right here, right now. We can tell stories about challenges, about optimism and hope, while listening deeply to the experience of fellow community members, understanding that their personal stories reflect national issues and concerns,” she adds. “Doing these things, we can come to know each other and learn more about the issues.”
The series, called the People’s State of the Union, was organized by the U.S. Department of Arts and Culture, a nonprofit, non-governmental organization that encourages individuals and communities to share stories about what matters to them most.
Similar events will be held across the country. The results of the DeKalb area sessions will be forwarded to the USDAC National Committee for inclusion in an address that will be presented Feb. 20 in Washington, D.C., and then circulated throughout the nation.
For more information, call (815) 753-2090 or email tlrogers@niu.edu.
