America 250: Securing the Dream for Us All

Dr. King famously stated that “We cannot have a first-class nation with second class citizens.” Yet 250 years after the founding nation, are we expanding or retracting the promises of democracy and freedom?

This performance/talk is taken from a new production by Playwright Dr. Ted Williams III entitled Unum. Unum is a Latin word that means “one.” Unum chronicles one man's fictitious run for national office from the state of Illinois. The protagonist, Xavier Campbell, is a middle-aged man who wants to make a difference in his community. He’s given into cynicism and despair as he’s seen the inequality and division in the world around him. His community is suffering, and he’s given up hope that things can be better. During a lively dinner conversation with a group of friends, they challenge him to run for office again. He balks at the idea assuming that change is impossible. Yet through a series of events, he decides to work to find a way to manifest the ideals that this nation has never fully represented. The production addresses major dilemmas facing our democracy including gun violence, gerrymandering, unequal school funding, the military industrial complex, and access to quality housing and healthcare, with a sense of hope and opportunity for the future. 

Registration is encouraged.

Dr. Ted Williams III is a passionate educator, author, and actor who is a graduate of Rutgers University, the University of Chicago, and Northern Seminary. He teaches Political Science and is the Chairman of the Social Sciences Department at Kennedy-King College, one of the City Colleges of Chicago. He has also served as an adjunct professor at Wheaton College and Chicago State University. 

Williams is the former host of WYCC-PBS TV's The Professors public affairs show, has appeared in commercials for companies including Subway, Cheerios, and Empire Carpet, and recently appeared on NBC's Chicago PD, and Showtime's The Chi. He is the author of The Way Out: Christianity, Politics, and the Future of the African American Community, and the creator of the musical production 1619: The Journey of a People. 

Williams is a former candidate for the Chicago City Council and is often called upon as a speaker on the topics of social justice, diversity, and effective communication. He enjoys biking, dance, and watching his favorite team, the Chicago Bears. He and his wife Roslyn are raising three dynamic children.