First Church in Belmont, Unitarian Universalist will host Director of IPS’s Program on Inequality and the Common Good, Chuck Collins for a lecture and book signing.

Storyteller, researcher and economic justice activist Chuck Collins reveals that one of the major forces holding economic and racial inequality in place are the stories we tell ourselves about wealth creation, deservedness, and meritocracy. In his recent popular book, Born on Third Base, Collins explicitly addresses these narratives –and uses counter-narrative and storytelling to shift perspectives. Third Base lifts up stories of wealthy individuals talking about societal investments and whites talking about white advantage. Collins has led workshops on narrative and identify reframing aimed at disrupting stories that hold inequality in place and expanding a cadre of “messengers” who can talk about personal success and wealth and white advantage through a “commonwealth” frame.

With the heart of an agitator and the soul of a storyteller, Collins upends our assumptions about America’s deep wealth divide—and offers bold new solutions for bridging the economic divide, and suggests re-engaging the wealthy to rebuild communities for a resilient future.

This event is free and open to the public.

Co-sponsored by Adult Programs and Social Action Committees.