The Politics of Radical Inclusion

Please join Montgomery College President DeRionne P. Pollard
for a series of conversations exploring the politics of radical inclusion. 

Tuesday, March 5

Breakfast at 8:30 a.m, Program at 9 a.m.

Arne Duncan

Former US Secretary of Education

As the US Secretary of Education under President Obama, Arne Duncan visited schools in all 50 states to promote public investment in education, recruit new teachers, and increase college enrollment through larger Pell grants. His tenure as secretary followed seven years as the chief executive officer of Chicago Public Schools, during which applications for teaching positions tripled and 100 new schools were opened.  

Duncan is currently the managing partner at Emerson Collective, an organization dedicated to removing barriers to opportunity for youth. The Collective's work centers on education, immigration reform, the environment, and other social justic initiatives. Through partnerships with local business leaders, community organizers, and nonprofit groups, it seeks to create inclusive communities for disconnect youth. 

Duncan graduated magna cum laude from Harvard University with a degree in sociology. 

Tuesday, March 5
Breakfast at 8:30 a.m., Program begins at 9 a.m.

Rockville Campus

Robert E. Parilla Performing Arts Center
51 Mannakee Street
Rockville, Maryland

Free parking. Click here for directions.

About the Series

The 2018-2019 Montgomery College Presidential Dialogue Series will explore the politics of radical inclusion. Building communities in which everyone feels welcomed is a "radical" ideal with many benefits, including higher academic achievement by students. Inclusive practices contribute to safe, healthy, productive neighborhoods and schools, where diverse people and ideas flourish. The past year has seen a fracturing of such ideals, with increasingly polarized national political rhetoric. Civil demonstrations of protest have been cast as disloyalty to the nation. Hostile political factions have paralyzed compromise and stalled urgent legislation. Immigrants have been vilified and diversity, discouraged. While intolerance appears to be on the rise, an alternative movement—radical inclusion—is gaining traction. Actively searching out ways to bring people on the margins into the community is one antidote to the marginalization so many experience. But it takes political will, civility, and many times, discomfort. This year's series will delve into the question: How can our nation create a politics of radical inclusion? 

For information, call the President's Office at 240-567-5267 or visit montgomerycollege.edu/dialogues.

For special accommodations, please contact Lori Stegeman at 240-567-7301 or lori.stegeman@montgomerycollege.edu two weeks prior to the event. 

Attendance at one or more of these events meets mulitcultural and diversity training criteria for Montgomery College employees. 

Join the conversation: #MCpresdialogues 

Special thanks to our media sponsor, Bethesda Beat: Bethesda Magazine's Online News Briefing