Special Lecture with Michael Patrick MacDonald

Michael Patrick MacDonald, activist and author of All Souls and Easter Rising: A Memoir of Roots and Rebellion, will be visiting campus on Thursday March 24th to give a special lecture entitled "Trauma, Healing, and Social Justice: Finding Voice in the Aftermath of Violence." The event is being co-sponsored by the Undergraduate Anthropology Club, the Maxwell School, the Renee Crown Honors Program, and i-Learn at the College of Arts and Sciences. MacDonald brings a fascinating contribution to conversations on race, class, and finding voice. His story of survival, social mobility, and subsequent outreach work transcends the personal, literary, and academic approaches to analysis and reaction. Michael Patrick MacDonald grew up in South Boston’s Old Colony housing project. After losing four siblings and seeing his generation decimated by poverty, crime, and addiction, he became a leading Boston activist, helping launch many antiviolence initiatives, including gun-buyback programs. He continues to work for social change nationally, collaborating with survivor families and young people. MacDonald won the American Book Award in 2000. His national bestseller, All Souls, and his follow-up, Easter Rising: A Memoir of Roots and Rebellion have been adopted by university curriculums across the country. MacDonald has written numerous essays for the Boston Globe Op-Ed Page and has completed the screenplay of All Souls for director Ron Shelton. He is currently Author-in-Residence at Northeastern University.