American Renewal

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With a seemingly constant barrage of media messages asserting turmoil across the nation, today’s dominant political refrain is that America is in a state of decline. But is it?According to journalist James Fallows, nothing is further from the truth. To make his case, Fallows, also an acclaimed author, editor and media commentator, took a three-year, 54,000-mile trek across the country and reported on the surprising points of American reinvention he found along the way.
Fallows will highlight some civic projects that are rebuilding America in his talk, “It’s Happening Here: American Renewal, Ingenuity, and Innovation” Monday, May 1, at the Lobero Theater. The event, which begins at 8 p.m., is free and open to the public. It is sponsored by the UC Santa Barbara’s Walter H. Capps Center for the Study of Ethics, Religion, and Public Life.
“James Fallows is one of the most astute observers of American life in our time,” said Wade Clark Roof, director of the Capps Center and a professor of religious studies. “Once a speechwriter for Jimmy Carter, he is the author of 10 books on a phenomenal range of topics — immigration, defense policy, politics, computer technology, college admission policy, China and more.
“Often a speaker on university campuses and a national correspondent for The Atlantic, he writes about who we are as a people, our challenges and opportunities today,” Roof continued. “In his Santa Barbara talk, Fallows will share stories about what be believes are examples of democratic renewal and why he thinks the country will emerge from the Trump Era as a stronger nation.”
On his reporting excursion, Fallows discovered a cross-section of generations, races and political affiliations working far from the usual metropolitan hubs. Based on those observations, he wrote, “People across the country are aware of the serious economic, political, cultural, social … and other problems of contemporary America. But ...

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