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A Closed Pool and a Divided Team, stories from Heather McGhee
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Heather McGee. the New York Times bestselling author of The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together, spoke to a packed house at Graham Chapel on the Washington University campus last Thursday evening. Ms. McGhee captivated her audience, including many Civitas students, with her stories of America’s racial past and her own story that inspired her to write the book. After many years as a successful lawyer, she became puzzled by the country’s inability to make economically strong social justice decisions that would benefit everyone, i.e. Universal Health Care, Paid Family Leave, Living Wages for All and more. She began to explore the myth that for Black people to improve economically, white people must lose some of their economic strength. Using a metaphor, “Drained Pool Politics,” she told a story closer to home about the largest public pool in the country, the Fairground Park Pool in St. Louis. Like pools throughout the U.S. in the late 1940's and 1950’s, attempts to integrate the beautiful Fairground Park Pool, large enough for over 10,000 swimmers, in 1949 caused so much protesting and turmoil, the pool permanently closed in 1954. Rather than everyone swimming together, the frustrating result was no one could swim at all. The Sum of Us examines such stories of our collective history, “through the lens of wealth,” to illustrate the myth that for one group to prosper, another group must lose out somehow. And yet, according to economists, inequality is bad for any sustained growth. Using another powerful metaphor, Ms. McGhee stressed that as players on one team, we cannot win any games with so many key players sitting on benches. Sprinkled with facts such as a college-educated Black adult has less wealth on average than a white, high school dropout and the top 1% in the U.S. has more wealth than the entire middle class, Heather McGhee’s message to all is to embrace the stories of collective action, even in divided communities, and to create more stories through local organizing and action towards collective economic progress, aka The American Dream, for all. We must move forward in solidarity so progress is not only for some of us, but for THE SUM OF US.
Civitas still has free copies of the book. Please contact us at info@civitas-stl.com if you would like a copy. |
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Join Us to Untangle the History of Israel and Palestine this Saturday!
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Since so many students have expressed interest in discussing and learning about the Israel/Palestine conflict, Civitas has scheduled a special event on Saturday, February 10 with Dr. Warren Rosenblum, Professor of History at Webster University, that will  center around student questions and concerns. Dr. Rosenblum has a wealth of knowledge and experience to share on the topic, so he will present a brief history of all that has led to today's War in Gaza, including the involvement of the United Nations and the United States, and then focus on what students want to know. Please consider attending this great opportunity at Crossroads College Preparatory (MAP) to learn facts and explore possible solutions for an area of the world that has experienced decades of death and destruction. We will meet from 10:00 am until noon. Remember, you will earn a Game Changer point for attending. If you bring a friend new to Civitas, you can earn an additional point.
Click here to sign up.
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Signup for Second Semester HS Model UN NOW!
(Resolutions for Session A are due a week from today at midnight.)
 ` The new sessions will be held in Winifred Moore Auditorium, accessible through Webster University's Main Hall.
Civitas is excited to offer two more High School Model UN sessions on Saturday, February 17 and Saturday, March 2. Both dates will be morning sessions, 9:00 am until noon. They will be held in a larger venue, the Winifred Moore Auditorium, still on Webster University's campus inside the Main Hall at 470 East Lockwood, 63119. Parking is plentiful across the street, along Lockwood, and behind the building off Plymouth Blvd (MAP).
Some important reminders and points to know:
- Students can sign up individually for either date, or school groups can choose a date to attend together. No need to let us know in advance since the venue is larger. We would appreciate large school groups dividing between the two dates, if possible.
- Students should represent the same countries they had in the fall or another country your school drafted in the fall.
- New students are welcome. If your school did not draft countries in the fall, click here to choose a country that has no school name(s) next to it, preferably before you sign up.
- There will most likely be some duplicate country delegations. We will have separate voting placards for duplicates.
- If you submitted a resolution in the fall that was not discussed, it will have priority on the list. However, please review it/revise it and resubmit it to Stephanie (gavinstephanie89@gmail.com) by midnight on the Tuesday before the session you're attending.
- New resolutions are welcomed and encouraged.
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Saturday, February 10, 10:00 am until 12:00 pm at Crossroads College Preparatory (MAP)
A Brief History of the Israel-Palestine Conflict and Q & A with Dr. Warren Rosenblum
Sign up here.
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Saturday, February 17, 9:00 am until noon at Webster University in Winifred Moore Auditorium. (MAP)
Winter Session HS Model UN, Session A
Sign up here.
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Saturday, March 2, 9:00 am until noon at Webster University in Winifred Moore Auditorium. (MAP)
Winter Session HS Model UN, Session B
Sign up here.
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