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An America 250 Webinar

60-Minute Civics: Who Decides What Patriotism Looks Like? Protest, Dissent, and the American Tradition

November 20, 2025 • 7:00-8:00 pm EST

Throughout American history, acts of protest have been hailed as patriotic by some and condemned as un-American by others. This session explores how the line between patriotism and dissent has been drawn (and redrawn) over time, inviting educators to help students examine how social movements, constitutional rights, and civic identity intersect in a democracy. This discussion will connect directly to We the People Unit 6.

Presenters

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Danielle Allen
James Bryant Conant University Professor at Harvard University
Danielle Allen is James Bryant Conant University Professor at Harvard University. She is also Director of the Allen Lab for Democracy Renovation at the Harvard Kennedy School and Director of the Democratic Knowledge Project-Learn, a research lab focused on civic education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. She is a professor of political philosophy, ethics, and public policy as well as a seasoned nonprofit leader, democracy advocate, tech ethicist, distinguished author, and mom. She is a contributing columnist at The Atlantic Magazine and was the 2020 winner of the Library of Congress' Kluge Prize, which recognizes scholarly achievement in the disciplines not covered by the Nobel Prize. She received the Prize "for her internationally recognized scholarship in political theory and her commitment to improving democratic practice and civics education." Her many books also include the widely acclaimed Our Declaration: A Reading of the Declaration of Independence in Defense of Equality; Cuz: The Life and Times of Michael A.; Democracy in the Time of Coronavirus; and Justice by Means of Democracy.
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Paul Carrese
Director of the ASU Center for American Civics
Paul Carrese is Director of the ASU Center for American Civics, and professor in the School of Civic & Economic Thought and Leadership at Arizona State University, serving as the school’s founding director 2016 to 2023. Formerly he was a professor at the U.S. Air Force Academy, co-founding its honors program blending liberal arts and leadership education. He teaches and publishes on the American founding, American constitutional and political thought, civic education, and American grand strategy. His forthcoming book is Teaching America: Reflective Patriotism in Schools, College, and Culture (Cambridge University Press, 2026). He has held fellowships at Oxford (Rhodes Scholar); Harvard; University of Delhi (Fulbright); and the James Madison Program, Princeton. He served on the advisory board of the Program on Public Discourse at UNC Chapel Hill; co-led a national study, Educating for American Democracy, on history and civics in K-12 schools with partners from Harvard, Tufts, and iCivics (2021); is a fellow of the Civitas Institute, UT Austin; serves on the Academic Council of the Jack Miller Center for America’s Founding Principles and History; and serves on the executive Council of the American Political Science Association as well as the APSA’s Civic Education Committee. He is a Senior Fellow for Civic Thought and Leadership with the Jack Miller Center, and in 2025 was a Visiting Scholar at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University, to support the Alliance for Civics in the Academy and Stanford Civics Initiative.

About Us

The Center for Civic Education
The Center for Civic Education is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to promoting an enlightened and responsible citizenry committed to democratic principles and actively engaged in the practice of democracy in the United States and other countries. The Center's programs are designed to provide students with the knowledge, skills, and dispositions they need to be informed and engaged citizens.

Professional Development

The Center has offered high-quality educator professional development for decades. Today, we provide such opportunities through our partners in several states in addition to organized Center events, self-paced online courses, and special webinars.
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