Citizen University TV: "Being Responsible" topic at Civic Saturday

04/06/19 • 59 min

Eric Liu refers to America's favorite pastime, baseball, to help answer the question, what does it mean to be responsible? He says there are two ways to interpret this. First, what is it we should expect to be blamed for or held to account? Second, what ways are we living up to obligation or expectation? He says both are at play as our political culture has increasingly favored one definition over the other, often with negative consequences. Liu says to move forward we need to recommit ourselves to our duties: to connect, cultivate, circulate, and question ourselves. Liu's address was delivered April 6, 2019, at the Impact Hub Seattle as part of Citizen University's Civic Saturday, the civic analog to a faith gathering.

Previous Episode

Citizen University TV: Beyond liberation at Civic Saturday

Citizen University visits El Centro de la Raza for a special edition of Civic Saturday. As the country celebrates Black History Month, host Eric Liu cites the readings of abolitionist and statesman Frederick Douglas to provide context to the term liberation. But Liu goes a step beyond, exploring the full arc that runs from slavery to liberation to freedom. He reminds us that liberation is not freedom. Liberation is only the removal of oppression. Freedom, on the other hand, is much more than the removal of restraints. With freedom comes great responsibility. Liu provides a vivid example, sharing a personal story from his childhood in upstate New York. Civic Saturday is the civic analogue to a faith gathering. It celebrates the American civic tradition with a "Beyond Liberation" address by Liu, special readings, small-group discussions and reflection.

Next Episode

Citizen University TV: Creatively Deviating from the College Path at Civic Saturday

Civic Seminarian Kristin Leong leads a special presentation of Civic Saturday, introducing guest speaker Aliyah Musaliar, a first-year student at the University of Washington. Musaliar reveals her turmoil as she wrestles with the only question people seem to be focused on: What are you going to be? And that leads to even greater anxiety for Musaliar since the predetermined path her parents envision does not align with her own interests. This, she says, is the reality for many members of Generation Z. "We're told to dream big, but those dreams need to be kept in check by how the market is fluctuating," said Musaliar in an address delivered April 27, 2019, at Hillman City Collaboratory as part of Citizen University's Civic Saturday, the civic analog to a faith gathering.