There's a long tradition of "passing" in American society.  Passing is defined as hiding part of your identity in order to blend in and avoid stigma.  Originally this just meant people of African American ancestry passing as white.  But passing can involve race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, religion and even social class.  Dr. Page shares stories of people who are (or have been) passing in one way or another, including recent stories from the Washington, DC area.

There's a long tradition of "passing" in American society.  Passing is defined as hiding part of your identity in order to blend in and avoid stigma.  Originally this just meant people of African American ancestry passing as white.  But passing can involve race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, religion and even social class.  Dr. Page shares stories of people who are (or have been) passing in one way or another, including recent stories from the Washington, DC area.

Suddenly, everyone is talking about Critical Race Theory, a set of premises developed decades ago to interpret America’s institutions in the context of race and civil rights. Yet, what exactly is CRT? During this talk, Dr. Bell aims to locate the origins of CRT, establish its core premises, describe the recent controversy, and introduce participants to a list of practices that CRT scholars believe all of us can adopt to mitigate the worst legacies of slavery in our supposedly post-slavery world.

Renoir and Toulouse-Lautrec are universal icons of art, but what about the women who were their muses? Beginning with Renoir, we’ll explore the Impressionist’s love affair with his spouse Aline, from his first acknowledged representation of her as the young coquette in The Luncheon of the Boating Party to mature wife and mother. Next, we’ll focus on the often troubled romance between Toulouse-Lautrec and his model Suzanne Valadon (who also posed for the Impressionists), through a series of his canvases done in the Paris of the Belle Epoque. (For a related class, see #354.)

Renoir and Toulouse-Lautrec are universal icons of art, but what about the women who were their muses? Beginning with Renoir, we’ll explore the Impressionist’s love affair with his spouse Aline, from his first acknowledged representation of her as the young coquette in The Luncheon of the Boating Party to mature wife and mother. Next, we’ll focus on the often troubled romance between Toulouse-Lautrec and his model Suzanne Valadon (who also posed for the Impressionists), through a series of his canvases done in the Paris of the Belle Epoque. (For a related class, see #354.)

Denied her dream of reprising her Broadway success in the film version of Camelot, Julie Andrews  received an Oscar for Mary Poppins instead. A year later she starred in The Sound of Music and her career would never be the same. A phenomenal singer with a four-octave voice, Andrews built a seven decade career based on solid musical, theatrical and film performances, until a surgeon’s error forced her to reinvent her life and focus on acting, narration, and writing.

At times impoverished, at other times subsidized to the point of having his own custom opera house; Up and down, down and out! But always willfully moving forward. Richard Wagner had a profound effect on the evolution of modern western music. This hour will feature some of the most wonderful and dramatic music ever: the musical roller coaster that is Wagner. It’s a ride well worth taking. Grand music and historical context.