Liberty Medal Public Program: Athletics, Competition, and Social Justice

Thursday, Sept. 13, 2012, 12:15p.m.-1:15p.m.

Reservations Required. To book tickets please contact Valerie Tomarchio at 215.409.6795 or .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

From ancient times to the modern Olympic Games, athletic competition has frequently reflected cultural values. Our understanding of “good sportsmanship” is connected to ideals of fairness, respect, and commitment. And athletics have often assisted in breaking down larger social barriers such as religious intolerance, racism, and gender discrimination. American sports have long been at the center of some of the major political debates and struggles of our time.

Join us as we explore the long-standing influence of athletics in the fight for social justice. Sports enthusiasts, commentators, and world champions will share their experiences as competitors, role models, and barrier-breakers. These sports icons have used their athletic achievements as a platform to strive to secure the blessings of liberty and uphold their beliefs of justice, tranquility, and democracy beyond the field of play onto the larger stage of political struggle.

Moderator:

• Arthur Caplan, PhD, Arthur is the Drs. William F and Virginia Connolly Mitty Professor and head of the Division of Bioethics at New York University Langone Medical Center in New York City.

Featured participants include:

• Claressa Shields, 2012 U.S. Olympic Gold Medalist in Boxing
• Susan Francia, 2012 U.S. Olympic Gold Medalist in women’s rowing
• Professional boxer Laila Ali, daughter of Muhammad Ali
• Dikembe Mutombo, National Constitution Center Trustee, basketball All-Star, and humanitarian
• Lonnie Ali, Director of the Muhammad Ali Center

Can't join us at the Center? Join us online.