How do we determine who the greatest Presidents were?

One recent poll of the American public disclosed that they believed Bill Clinton is the greatest President of all time!

Another recent poll, this one only of Republicans, showed that 5% considered George W. Bush the greatest President of all time!

Let’s not ask the public!

When professional historians are asked to compile lists of the greatest Presidents, they usually choose Washington, Lincoln, and FDR as the best. (apologies to both Presidents Bush and Clinton!)

But after those three, the lists become intriguing. Does Truman belong in the pantheon? How about Jefferson, Jackson, Theodore Roosevelt, Reagan, or Polk? Can a case be made for Madison, Cleveland, JFK, or Wilson? The debate is fun, and the comparisons are exciting! I will prevent my intentionally provocative choices in this fast-moving multimedia presentation.

THIS PROGRAM IS FREE AND IN PERSON ONLY. REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED.

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER  ON THE FORM.

ENTER THE TITLE “10 Best Presidents at 6 PM July 27

The post The Ten Greatest American Presidents appeared first on Speaking For A Change.

THIS PROGRAM WILL BE ON MONDAY, MAY 19 at 11:30 AM

The integration of Central High School  – Little Rock 1957 was one of the most dramatic turning points in American History. For the first time since the Supreme Court had declared school segregation illegal, the federal government took decisive action to protect African American students’ rights. When conservative Republican President Dwight Eisenhower sent paratroopers to occupy parts of Little Rock to open the schools, he set a precedent for the federal government once again protecting disadvantaged Minority people’s rights for the first time since Reconstruction.

The Integration Of Central High School – Little Rock, 1957

In this dramatic, insightful, and continuously surprising multimedia presentation, Presidential and Congressional award-winning civil rights historian Barry Bradford will present not only the dramatic events of 1957 but also give us great insights into the personalities, context, and community that surrounded the confrontation.  Terrorism and patriotism, courage and cowardice, presidential leadership and white supremacists all come into conflict as America has to decide whether or not we truly meant the words written in our Declaration of Independence: “We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal.”

COST
The program is available for a minimum contribution of $5.00, which helps support my work and allows me to continue offering engaging content.

PAYMENT OPTIONS

Cash/Check
Payable to: Barry Bradford
Mail to:
Barry Bradford
P.O. Box #177
Deerfield, IL 60015
Please write “Ark AM” in the subject line.

PayPal
Pay securely via PayPal:

Venmo
Send to: @B-Bradford-1
Please include “Ark AM” in the note.

Zelle
Use the email address: Barry1776@ATT.NET
Include “Ark AM” in the note.

WAIVER OPTION
If you cannot afford to pay or feel my programs aren’t worth $5.00, you are welcome to attend for free or contribute less. Just email me to request a waiver—no questions asked! This one-time request will cover all future programs. I completely understand the challenges of living on a tight budget and offer this with compassion.

REGISTRATION LINK
Click Here to Register

DIDN’T RECEIVE YOUR ZOOM LINK?
If you don’t receive a confirmation email after registering, it means your sign-up wasn’t completed. Be sure to:

1. Check your spam folder for the confirmation email.
2. Save the confirmation email once you find it.

If you still can’t locate the email, return to the website and register again. Unfortunately, I cannot manually send you the link, as they are generated directly by Zoom.

The post The Integration Of Central High School – Little Rock, 1957 (AM) appeared first on Speaking For A Change.

The Integration Of Central High School – Little Rock, 1957

In this dramatic, insightful, and continuously surprising multimedia presentation, Presidential and Congressional award-winning civil rights historian Barry Bradford will present not only the dramatic events of 1957 but also give us great insights into the personalities, context, and community that surrounded the confrontation.  Terrorism and patriotism, courage and cowardice, presidential leadership and white supremacists all come into conflict as America has to decide whether or not we truly meant the words written in our Declaration of Independence: “We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal.”

COST
The program is available for a minimum contribution of $5.00, which helps support my work and allows me to continue offering engaging content.

PAYMENT OPTIONS

Cash/Check
Payable to: Barry Bradford
Mail to:
Barry Bradford
P.O. Box #177
Deerfield, IL 60015
Please write “Ark PM” in the subject line.

PayPal
Pay securely via PayPal:

Venmo
Send to: @B-Bradford-1
Please include “Ark PM” in the note.

Zelle
Use the email address: Barry1776@ATT.NET
Include “Ark PM” in the note.

WAIVER OPTION
If you cannot afford to pay or feel my programs aren’t worth $5.00, you are welcome to attend for free or contribute less. Just email me to request a waiver—no questions asked! This one-time request will cover all future programs. I completely understand the challenges of living on a tight budget and offer this with compassion.

REGISTRATION LINK
Click Here to Register

DIDN’T RECEIVE YOUR ZOOM LINK?
If you don’t receive a confirmation email after registering, it means your sign-up wasn’t completed. Be sure to:

1. Check your spam folder for the confirmation email.
2. Save the confirmation email once you find it.

If you still can’t locate the email, return to the website and register again. Unfortunately, I cannot manually send you the link, as they are generated directly by Zoom.

The post The Integration Of Central High School – Little Rock, 1957 (PM) appeared first on Speaking For A Change.

If the election of 2008 had been written as a movie script, it could not have been more exciting. We faced the possibility that we would elect the first woman to the presidency, the first African-American to the presidency, or perhaps one of America’s greatest war heroes to the presidency. The nomination battles were thrilling, the personalities were oversized, and just when it couldn’t seem to get any more fascinating, Sen. John McCain chose obscure Alaska  Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate!

In this insightful, nonpartisan multimedia presentation, you will learn about the backgrounds of each of the campaigns and candidates in the election of 2008. You’ll learn the very different election strategies that each pursued. We will look at the role of technology, social media, race, television, and the debates as factors in deciding an election like no other. The election of 2008 provides us a fascinating glimpse into the future of campaigning.  

We’ll see how social media and voter tracking began to replace conventional television advertising as a means of motivating voters.  This effort led to long lines of voters across the country. We’ll also examine how one party began to utilize restrictive voting laws as a desperate means to try and ensure victory through voter suppression.

The career politician and war hero against a candidate with a painfully thin resume; a vice-presidential candidate with a penchant for gaffes versus one seemingly in way over her head.  This presentation on the election of 2008 is not to be missed.

The post Understanding The Election Of 2008 appeared first on Speaking For A Change.

The Best Losing Presidential Candidates

What do Adlai Stevenson, George McGovern, Daniel Webster, and Wendell Willkie have in common?

Each ran for President and lost. In some cases, more than once!

And each was an outstanding man who might well have made a great President.

In this unique multimedia presentation, I will share my list of the ten best men to run for President and lose.  I’ll offer fascinating glimpses into the men, the times, and the campaigns.

We will explore why each man failed in his bid and speculate on the different directions our country might have taken had the election been decided differently.  For instance, how would America have responded on the morning of 9-11 if Al Gore had been President? Or if Wendell Willkie had been President on Pearl Harbor Day?  It’s fun to think about and debate!

The post The Best Losing Presidential Candidates appeared first on Speaking For A Change.