hashtag on twitter and instagram. · hashtag on twitter and instagram. the question is of supreme...

2019-2020FRANCES WILLSON THOMPSONCRITICAL ISSUES FORUM

UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN-FLINTUNIVERSITY ADVANCEMENT1001 NORTHBANK CENTER303 E. KEARSLEY ST.FLINT, MI 48502-1950

(810) 424-5448umflint.edu/cif

NON-PROFITORGANIZATIONU.S. POSTAGE

PAIDFLINT, MI

PERMIT NO. 89

Follow the conversation using the #UMFlintCIFhashtag on Twitter and Instagram.

The question is of supreme interest to philosophers, scientists, journalists, voters, and parents presiding over a sibling dispute. Can assertions about the future be true right now? Can we ever really know another individual’s personal truth? Have advancements in technology impacted our ability to discern what’s true? And is societal change even possible if society cannot agree on the truth of our reality? Within this contested and ever-shifting context, speakers at this year’s Critical Issues Forum shed light on the power, peril, and consequences of our collective pursuit of truth.

2019-2020 CIF REGISTRATIONAll Frances Willson Thompson Critical Issues Forum luncheons and lectures will be held in the Northbank Center Ballroom, located at 432 N. Saginaw Street, between Saginaw and Harrison streets. Parking is available in the Northbank Center ramp, as well as the William S. White Building parking lot, adjacent to the Northbank Center. A fee of $140/person covers the cost of four luncheons. Speaker costs, in their entirety, are underwritten by the Frances Willson Thompson Critical Issues Forum Endowment Fund.

Reserve your spot by completing the form or registering online before September 27. Registration confirmation will be mailed to you prior to the first lecture. For more information and to register, please visit umflint.edu/cif.

MAIL REGISTRATION FORMS TO:University of Michigan-Flint

University Advancement1001 NBC

303 E. Kearsley StreetFlint, MI 48502-1950

FOR MORE INFORMATION:(810) 424-5448 • umflint.edu/cif • [email protected]

Name: _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Company: ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Address: _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

City/State/Zip: _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Phone: _______________________________________________________________________ Email: ___________________________________________________________________________

Name: _____________________________________________________________________________________________ q Entrée q Vegetarian / Vegan q Other










If you require special assistance or have dietary restrictions (“other”), please specify: ________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_______ Series Reservation at $140 each $ __________________________________

_______ Tables of 10 at $1,400 each $ __________________________________

TOTAL PAYMENT $ __________________________________ Please make checks payable to: UM-Flint/CIF

Will attend FREE Kick-off Event q Yes How many will attend? ________________________ q No

JONATHAN MANNION & TUNDE OLANIRANPhotography and music are ways to capture and share vantage points on reality.

Jonathan Mannion is a photographer who focuses his camera on musicians like Jay-Z, Lil Wayne, and DJ Khaled.

Tunde Olaniran is a genre defying songwriter/performance artist — and UM-Flint alumnus (BA ‘04 and MPA ‘05) — whose body of work spans multiple disciplines.

Through dialogue and performance, the two will launch this year’s Critical Issues Forum series with a multimedia examination of art and truth.

THURSDAY

SEPTEMBER19

6:30 p.m.

UM-FLINTTHEATRE

KICK OFF EVENT:

DIRECTIONS & PARKING

1. NORTHBANK CENTER CIF Luncheon Presentation

2. NORTHBANK CENTER PARKING RAMP CIF Luncheon Presentation Parking

3. WILLIAM S. WHITE BUILDING PARKING LOT CIF Luncheon Presentation Overflow Parking

4. UM-FLINT THEATRE CIF Kick Off Event

5. HARRISON STREET PARKING RAMP CIF Kick Off Event Parking

For detailed driving instructions,please visit maps.umflint.edu.

JOSE ANTONIO VARGASBy sharing his truth — as well as the personal stories of countless other undocumented immigrants in America — Jose Antonio Vargas explores one of the most divisive questions facing our country today: how do you define “American”?

LUNCHEON PRESENTATION11:45 a.m. • Northbank Center Ballroom

SULLENGER DIALOGUE1:45 p.m. • Northbank Center Park Place

WEDNESDAY

OCTOBER9

Jose Antonio Vargas will sign copies of his book Dear America: Notes of an Undocumented Citizen in Park Place following the luncheon.

IN TRIBUTEThe Sullenger Dialogues are a tribute to Joanne Sullenger. Charged with bringing to life the vision of Mrs. Thompson, Joanne created the Critical Issues Forum and turned it into the great community and campus tradition it is today.

Different than the lunchtime lecture, the Sullenger Dialogues foster intimate conversation among visiting experts, UM-Flint faculty and students, and community members. The Sullenger Dialogues are free and open to all.

OUR BENEFACTORFrances Willson Thompson was a true original. Interested in books and ideas, Mrs. Thompson believed that a community could and should be enriched through dialogue. It was that belief that led Mrs. Thompson to create an iconic lecture series that would bring leading experts to Flint to debate and discuss the critical issues of our times.

Since 1977, the University of Michigan-Flint has had the distinct honor of hosting this annual gathering. We are forever grateful to Mrs. Thompson and the Thompson family for this lasting legacy.

“Why did she love Flint so much?

She was a fiercely loyal and proper

woman, and it wouldn’t have been

right to abandon her hometown. She

was thankful for all that Flint had

given to her family and her, and she

wanted to give back.”

- Susie Thompson, granddaughter of Frances Willson Thompson

IMPORTANT DETAILS

• Tickets can be purchased using a credit card at umflint.edu/cif or by sending a check (registration form attached) made payable to University of Michigan-Flint.

• Tickets can be purchased for the entire series either by table or individually.

Individual series ticket: $140 each Series ticket for table of 10: $1,400 each

• Books authored by CIF speakers will be available for purchase immediately following the luncheon via UM-Flint’s Barnes & Noble bookstore. Speaker books will be offered with a 20% discount at the campus bookstore prior to each event.

• Luncheons will feature an exciting food experience courtesy of Picasso Restaurant Group.

THE REGION’S

ANNUAL SPEAKER SERIES



THURSDAY

NOVEMBER21

BRITTANY PACKNETTBrittany Packnett is an unapologetic educator, activist, writer, and social justice leader. She was a member of the Ferguson Commission and President Obama’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing. She continues to advocate for systemic change in protest, policy, and the media.

DAVID SHEFFDavid Sheff is the influential journalist and author of Beautiful Boy, a compassionate investigation of the disease of addiction inspired by his son Nic’s battle with substance abuse. The book was made into a film starring Steve Carell and Timothée Chalamet.



WEDNESDAY

MARCH25

David Sheff will sign copies of his book Beautiful Boy in Park Place following the luncheon.

NAOMI KLEINWith clear-eyed critique and plain language, award-winning writer Naomi Klein unpacks the ways global economic policies impact real people and our planet. Her latest book argues urgent action is needed to address climate change and create a just, thriving society.



THURSDAY

APRIL9

Naomi Klein will sign copies of her book On Fire: The (Burning) Case for a Green New Deal in Park Place following the luncheon.

hashtag on twitter and instagram. · hashtag on twitter and instagram. the question is of supreme...

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