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Young people ages 15 to 25 are the heart of the global society as the second decade of the twenty-first century begins. In an era where productive adult life spans nearly six decades on average, the importance of an early start in pursuit of human freedom, values, and rights is unprecedented. The power and influence…

The continuing string of gossip reports on celebrity infidelity (and public fascination with it) raises troubling questions about American society’s understanding of romantic (and other forms of) commitment. The prevailing notions of male inability to invest and sustain a monogamous relationship dominate the internet, movies, television, and print media. On the day when Tiger Woods…

One of my students recently opened our “Ethics and Genetics” class with the assertion that if an athlete had Peyton Manning’s brain and LeBron James’ body, he (or she) would be ‘perfect.’ The idea of a ‘perfect human’ is very seductive. We have studied the evolution of natural philosophy, racial philosophy, racial pseudo-science, and eugenics…

http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/03/11/missouri.school.closings/index.html?hpt=T1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=es7dyWazV7E http://news.google.com/news?hl=en&source=hp&q=school+budget+cuts&oq=&um=1&ie=UTF-8&ei=TfmYS_XDHYjMNYH5hXs&sa=X&oi=news_group&ct=title&resnum=1&ved=0CBcQsQQwAA Over the last two decades, the debate over school funding has reached a frenzied pitch across the United States. This process is a direct outcome of the battles surrounding the Brown v. Board of Education – Topeka, Kansas decision by the Supreme Court in 1954. When the Brown decision announced the first…

This spectacular history of white Americans will transform the national understanding of race for this generation and those that follow. Every family should have a copy to discuss the nature of our society. http://www.amazon.com/History-White-People-Irvin-Painter/dp/0393049345/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1267715299&sr=8-1

Liberalism is the dogged pursuit of free expression in the service of processes that advance human dignity. When Fernando Jones summoned the spirit of Frederick Douglass into the Lenfest Theater at the Kaleidoscope Performing Arts Center last Thursday night, I was reminded about the power of art to stimulate excellence. Ursinus College is a center…

The major television and cable outlets here in Philadelphia struggled to identify an anthem for the city during the most recent World Series run. I wondered why they did not use this song. Even without the lyrics, the music can rally millions. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YoiojiYyPPI

The Time Value of Life: Why Time is More Valuable than Money by Tisa L. Silver (iUniverse, 2009) 90pp. Paperback. $12.95 (ISBN: 978-1-440103480-7) Recently, Professor Silver visited Ursinus College to discuss representations and realities of wealth in the African American community with two groups of students. In the conversations that followed, she and I agreed…

With the passing of Ed McMahon, Farrah Fawcett, and Michael Jackson, we have a moment to reflect on celebrity, its power, and its cost. Dave Chappelle related a story in explaining his sudden departure from the international media stage where he quoted his father regarding the process of celebrity. “Know your price, and when the…

Distinguished scholar Nell Irvin Painter offers an extraordinary analysis of Ralph W. Emerson’s “English Traits” and its historical importance in the Journal of American History (March 2009). If you cannot get a copy quickly, here is a video of the lecture that shaped the essay. http://www.videodust.com/v/08/03/30/oah-2008-nell-irvin-painter-part.html