Nationally recognized speaker to lead Democracy series

Robert P. Jones, founder and president of the Public Religion Research Institute, will lead a free, two-part discussion about the state of American democracy on Oct. 23-24 at University of Detroit Mercy's McNichols Campus. The series is open to the public.

The event, "Who Are We? Democracy, Social Values and the American Story," will look at how the competing visions of the nation have divided Americans throughout the history of the United States.

On Oct. 23, Jones will discuss the research behind his recent New York Times bestselling book The Hidden Roots of White Supremacy and the Path to a Shared American Future and on Oct. 24, Jones will moderate a discussion with an esteemed panel of local religious and academic leaders on the question "what is religion becoming?"

Jones is the author of the White Too Long: The Legacy of White Supremacy in American Christianity, which won a 2021 American Book Award. He is also the author of The End of White Christian America, which won the 2019 Grawemeyer Award in Religion.

He writes regularly on politics, culture, and religion for The Atlantic, TIME, Religion News Service, and other outlets. He is frequently featured in major national media, such as CNN, MSNBC, NPR, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and others.

This event is funded by the Robert A. and Judith A. Bruttell Religion & Social Ethics Program Fund, designed to promote ethical discussions and co-sponsored by UDM's College of Humanities, Arts & Social Sciences and the Department of Religious Studies.

The event begins at 7:30 p.m. each night in the Ballroom of the Student Union on the University's McNichols Campus. Jones will be available for book signing at both events.