Heather McGhee, Local Performers Inspire at Asbury Hall

Audience members listen in as Heather McGhee of Demos talks about inequality and the American Dream.    Photo: Joseph DiDomizio, Open Buffalo

Justice & Opportunity

Heather McGhee, Local Performers Inspire at Asbury Hall

Published July 24, 2013

Heather McGhee of Demos spoke to Buffalo residents in Asbury Hall on Tuesday, July 23rd. Local performers Daughters of Creative Sound, Dr. Anthony Neal, and Randle and the Late Night Scandals rounded out the evening. 

Franchelle Hart of 1199SEIU was the MC for the event, and New York State Assemblymember Sean Ryan introduced Ms. McGhee to the audience.

A writer, speaker and regular commentator for MSNBC, Fox News and CNN on issues of democracy reform, economic opportunity, racial equity and financial regulation, McGhee is the Vice President of Policy and Outreach at Demos. Her talk focused on inequality, upward mobility, and the American Dream.

"The economy is not the weather," said McGhee. She went on to explain that the economy is something very much within our control, and that everyone has a right to a seat at the table, regardless of wealth or race.

Demos’ goals are similar to Open Buffalo’s shared vision of an equal, just, and free city driven by a united and empowered community open to full democratic participation, innovative ideas and policies, new leaders from diverse communities, and meaningful economic opportunity and sustainable wealth creation for all. George Sax wrote about these issues and the impetus for the event in this week's Artvoice.

The event, organized by Open Buffalo, brought together 20 community organizations in support of the event including:

See below or visit our Flickr page for more photos and video of the event.

Heather McGhee Speaks at Asbury Hall

Heather McGhee Speaks at Asbury Hall