Panel discussion featuring Mark K. Updegrove, President and Chief Executive Officer of the LBJ Foundation; Michelle Ferrari, Director, Producer, Writer, 42nd Parallel Films; and Richie Butler, Senior Pastor, St. Luke Community United Methodist Church
A panel on the hard-fought democratic milestones achieved throughout our history that have made our country and its people more free.
Pastor Richie Butler leads St. Luke Community United Methodist Church, one of Dallas’ historic and leading Black Protestant churches. The Harvard Divinity School graduate, who earned his undergraduate degree at Southern Methodist University, spearheaded the interfaith Project Unity initiative in Dallas and is a participant in the city’s Faith Forward program.
Michelle Ferrari has been creating compelling documentary narratives for more than two decades. Her work has been seen on PBS, HBO, and at film festivals nationwide, and has garnered both critical acclaim and a host of prestigious honors. Michelle is a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley, holds an M.A. in American History from Columbia University, and is the founder of 42nd Parallel Films. She lives in Brooklyn, New York.
Mark K. Updegrove is the President and CEO of the LBJ Foundation and the presidential historian and political analyst for ABC News. He is the author of six books on the presidency, including his most recent, Make Your Mark: Lessons in Character from Seven Presidents. Earlier in his career, he was the director of the LBJ Presidential Library and publisher of Newsweek, and he has written for the New York Times, Politico, and TIME. He has interviewed and hosted seven U.S. presidents.
David J. Kramer serves as the Executive Director of the George W. Bush Institute and is a leading expert on Russia and Ukraine. Prior to joining the Bush Institute, he taught at Florida International University’s Steven J. Green School of International and Public Affairs, where he also was Senior Fellow in the Václav Havel Program for Human Rights and Diplomacy and Director for European and Eurasian Affairs.
