“It Was Said” is a documentary podcast series looking back on some of the most powerful, impactful, and timeless speeches in American history. Pulitzer Prize winning author-historian Jon Meacham offers expert insight and analysis into their origins, the orator, the context of the times they were given, why they are still relevant today, and the importance of never forgetting them.
During Lent, we will look at how these speeches address the challenges of the present day, while also discussing the way they pull upon themes in the Christian Tradition.
February 24th: Martin Luther King, Jr: The Last Speech
March 3rd: Robert F. Kennedy: A Eulogy for King
March 10th: President Obama’s Charleston Sermon
March 17th: Ronald Reagan’s Farewell Address
March 24th: Barbara Jordan, Your Keynote Speaker
March 31st: No Class: Holy Week
April 7th: No Class: Easter Sabbath
The speeches we will discuss can be found on the “It Was Said” podcast. It is best (but not necessary) to listen to the podcast before attending class. Links to the full speeches can be found in their respective calendar events.
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March 17th: Ronald Reagan’s Farewell Address. Ronald Reagan brings his long American odyssey to a close in his presidential farewell address, an evocation of America as a shining city on a hill. A nation that builds not walls but bridges. The imagery of a city upon a hill is taken from Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. Here is a link to the speech:
Please note the time shift for our Wednesday evening class during Lent. We will begin at 7:30 p.m. on Zoom:
https://zoom.us/j/314404719?pwd=a0RaYXMyMlQzL0RZYmlwSTdLQ2FxZz09
Password: 1829
Click to join the meeting or call-in by phone: (301) 715–8592
Meeting ID: 314 404 719