Watch Rachel Louise Snyder’s keynote talk below, which she delivered at Shepherd University on November 8, 2023.
2024-2025 Selection Announced
Voting has ended for the next common reading selection, and the winner is Democracy Awakening: Notes on the State of America by Heather Cox Richardson. This book will serve as the Shepherd University Common Reading next fall (2024) and spring (2025) semesters.
About the Book:
A vital and urgent call to action about the precarious state of American democracy, charting its historical challenges and current threats, from one of our era’s most important and insightful historians. At a time when the very foundations of democracy seem under threat, the lessons of the past offer a roadmap for navigating a moment of political crisis. Richardson delves into the tumultuous journey of American democracy, examining the historical forces that have led to the current political climate. Her command of history and trademark plainspoken prose allow her to pivot effortlessly from the Founders to the abolitionists to Reconstruction to Nixon to the January 6 insurrection, highlighting the political legacies of the New Deal, the lingering fears of socialism, the death of the liberal consensus, and the birth of “movement conservatism.” Richardson reminds us that democracy is not a static institution but a living, evolving process that requires constant vigilance and participation from all of us. This powerful testament to the resilience of democratic ideals shows how we, as a nation, can take the lessons of the past to address today’s challenges and secure a more just and equitable future.
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The Common Reading Program is made possible through the generous support of the Shepherd University Foundation.
Additional sponsors this year include The Shepherd University Offices of Diversity & Equity, Title IX, TRIO, and Counseling Services.