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Glenn Loury
Glenn Loury is one of the foremost African-American intellectuals in the country. No, actually, that’s selling him short. He’s one of the foremost intellectuals – period — in America. As an economics professor at Brown University, an author, a columnist, a podcaster, and a self-described “liberal who has been mugged by reality,” he has emerged as a leading conservative voice in the debate over Diversity, Equity & Inclusion.
I saw Loury in action at an American Council of Trustees and Alumni event last year, and I can tell you, he is phenomenal. DEI in higher education, he charges, makes African-American students think of themselves as victims, deprives them of agency, and induces passivity and fragility. He also makes the case for Black patriotism. Black people, he says, are blessed to be Americans.
That’s not to say America is perfect. Persistent racial inequality is real, he says. But the higher-ed panaceas of “anti-racism” and DEI are grievously flawed.
As the keynote speaker of The Jefferson Council’s April 4 annual meeting, Loury will explain what’s wrong with DEI, suggest what can be done about it, and stand up for the founding fathers, the American Constitution, and the American democratic system that has created unparalleled opportunity for Blacks in the 21st century.
If you aren’t familiar with Loury’s writings, we recommend his essay, “The Case for Black Patriotism.”
We have a fabulous line-up of speakers addressing the threats to free speech and intellectual diversity at the University of Virginia and nationally, and how The Jefferson Council and other alumni organizations are fighting back.
To attend register here.
Here is our speaker line-up:
Bert Ellis, president emeritus: Welcome and Overview
Allan Stam, professor, University of Virginia Batten Institute for Leadership: “What’s at Stake, a National Perspective”
Connor Murnane, director of engagement and mobilization at the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression: “Culture or Codes: Promoting Free Expression on Campus”
Chuck Davis, president of the Alumni Free Speech Alliance: “Universities United to Support Free Speech, Academic Freedom, and Viewpoint Diversity”
Joel Gardner: attorney, investment banker, author, and member of UVa Committee on Free Expression and Free Inquiry: “Where We Were; Where We Are Now; and Where We Need to Be”
Ann McLean, chair of The Jefferson Council Student Liaison Committee: “Student Perspectives. Testimonials from Libby Klinger, Ian Schwartz, Skylar Jackman, Lauren Horan, Paul Deeton, Vidar Hageman, and Nick Cabrera”
Jim Bacon, Jefferson Council executive director: “How The Jefferson Council is Building a Coalition of Pluralism at UVa”
Tom Neale, Jefferson Council president: Looking Ahead
Marion Smith, president of the Common Sense Society
Glenn Loury, keynote speaker: “Addressing Black Inequality, Embracing Black Patriotism”
