The Fred Newman Lecture Series is named in honor of the Institute’s late co-founder, whose work as therapist, educator, political and community activist, and playwright all bore the stamp of his brilliant philosophical insights. The series continues the process of exploring, deepening and expanding his important contributions to philosophy, culture and politics through dialogue with other thought leaders. Among Newman's unorthodox, provocative insights was his understanding of identity, which has profoundly influenced all the work of the East Side’s development community.
These days, identity is far from esoteric or ivory tower. It's at the core of our political and culture wars, a hot-button issue, being debated and played out in all areas of our lives—in education from pre-school through higher ed, in culture and entertainment from theatre to music to film and television, in the electoral arena, in the psychology establishment, and on-the-ground interactions with both people we know and those we don't—indeed, the dominant approaches to identity seem to be leading us into intractable polarization.
The first Fred Newman Lecture presents educator and author, Irshad Manji, whose writings and media appearances have made her a lightning rod for the international debate over identity—in dialogue with interviewer Lois Holzman, director East Side Institute and Newman’s intellectual partner for forty years. Manji’s recent book,
Don't Label Me
, is a gutsy guide to reclaiming our humanity in a time of trenchant tribalism and bears family resemblances to Newman’s claim that identity is holding back human development.
