Melody Barnes - "We, The People": The Promise of Democracy 

We hope that you can join us for a very special presentation by Melody Barnes, who served as Director of President Obama's Domestic Policy Council (2009-2012). She will be introduced by WMU President Edward Montgomery, who served with Barnes in the Obama Administration as a member of the Presidential Task Force on the Auto Industry.

A native of Richmond, Virginia, Barnes will begin by describing the personal experiences and career pathway that led her to a top leadership position in the Obama White House.

Her talk will go on to focus on how economic insecurity and the country's changing demographics have affected public confidence in American institutions and in American democracy, itself. She will advocate for greater involvement in the civic life of our own communities, highlighting the opportunities presented by Shared Prosperity Kalamazoo.

This event is co-sponsored by the WMU Lewis Walker Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnic Relations and the City of Kalamazoo, Shared Prosperity Kalamazoo.