December Roundtable to Explore Aspirations for Scranton and Nation
The University of Scranton will host a special roundtable event “Scranton & the Nation: Who Are We and who Do We Aspire to Be?” on Monday, Dec. 6 from 5-6:30 p.m. in the PNC Board Room, Brennan Hall. This event will feature an opening discussion with resource speakers followed by a moderated roundtable discussion.
Scranton has been called “the best-known small city in America.” We have many of the key elements of the American experience: including the ongoing impacts of industrial-era growth and decline and ethnically and religiously diverse immigration past and present, as well as recognition of the diverse history of African-Americans and Native American peoples. As we look ahead to the 250th anniversary of the United States, we will consider the role of our city in the nation’s progress, or as urbanist Jane Jacobs wrote: “what Scranton is, has been, and can be.”
During the roundtable event, participants will have an opportunity to reflect on this role and on excerpts from Glenna Lang’s book Jane Jacobs’ First City and Our America: Who are We? edited by Sondra Myers.
This event is a part “Portrait of Scranton, Portrait of a Nation,” the first theme in the 2-year “Scranton’s Story, Our Nation’s Story” National Endowment for the Humanities grant funded project led by The University of Scranton with the collaboration of community partner organizations.
Resource Speakers include Alejandra Marroquin, Immigrant Inclusion Committee co-chair, Maureen McGuigan, Deputy Director of Arts & Culture for Lackawanna County, and Larry West, City of Scranton Business Administrator with co-moderators Julie Schumacher Cohen, Asst Vice President of Community Relations and Govt. Affairs and Sondra Myers, Senior Fellow for International, Civic and Cultural Projects and Director of the Schemel Forum both of The University of Scranton.
Space for this special event is limited to 30 participants. Registration is required at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ScrantonWhoAreWe
Masks are required indoors at this event regardless of vaccination status.
For more information on this program or for registration assistance, please email alicen.morrison@scranton.edu. For more information on all "Scranton's Story, Our Nation's Story programs, please email community@scranton.edu or call 570-941-4419.
Follow “Scranton’s Story, Our Nation’s Story” on Facebook and Instagram @ourscrantonstory and on Twitter @scrantonstory.
This roundtable discussion has been made possible in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities: Democracy demands wisdom. Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this walk do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities.
This event is a collaboration of The University of Scranton's Schemel Forum and Office of Community and Government Relations with the support of the Scranton Immigrant Inclusion Committee, Lackawanna County Department of Arts & Culture, the City of Scranton and additional project partner organizations including WVIA.
