FSW Critical Thinking Series Presents “Wealth Disparity: Myths and Realities”
Feb 5, 2016
FEBRUARY 5, 2016 – FORT MYERS, FLA – The Florida SouthWestern State College (FSW) Cornerstone and First Year Experience Program will host a Critical Thinking Lecture Series presentation, “Wealth Disparity: Myths and Realities” at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 10, in Building U, Room 102, at the FSW Thomas Edison Campus, Fort Myers. The presentation is free and open to the public.
Moderated by Wayne Smith of the Smith Family Foundation of Estero, Fla., a panel will conduct a conversation on the effects of wealth disparity, from income inequality to racial inequality.
“We all read and hear about wealth disparity and the ‘1 percent’ in various media sources,” said Smith. “It’s important for students to understand how wealth disparity affects them, to determine where they want to be when they graduate, and how to set the goals they will need to meet if they want to be in that 1 percent.”
Serving on the panel are Ismael Hernandez, Founder and Executive Director of the Freedom & Virtue Institute, and Tarren Bragdon, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Foundation for Government Accountability.
Ismael Hernandez grew up in Puerto Rico in a communist family. He studied political science at the University of Puerto Rico and worked for the Socialist Party party during the 1980 and 1984 elections. Hernandez was active in the fight against American involvement in the first Gulf War. His spiritual quest and antagonistic politics led him to join the Jesuit order and become a priest. Still a rabid communist, Hernandez decided to leave the order and took a great and decisive step, moving to the United States where he attended the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg. His experience there began to slowly shatter the preconceived notions about America that were the basis of his worldview. After finishing his master’s degree in political science, he moved to Fort Myers with his wife, Crystal, and soon became the Executive Director of the African Caribbean American Catholic Center (AFCAAM) in the Catholic Diocese of Venice. There, Hernandez began to implement his vision of true compassion based on self-reliance, individual freedom, and a rejection of dependency and entitlement. Soon AFCAAM began to change into a ministry geared toward educational programs. Its mission became to empower people, help them become self-reliant and avoid immobilizing victim mentality. Hernandez raised eyebrows as he began to implement changes and write newspaper articles questioning aspects of the black liberal consensus on race. He challenged ideas such as reparations, affirmative action, multiculturalism and collectivism, which led to the creation of the Freedom & Virtue Institute for the purpose of mobilizing people to learn and defend the values he has come to embrace.
Tarren Bragdon is a nationally recognized expert on health reform issues. He has testified before committees of the U.S. Senate and House; state legislative committees in Alabama, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Maine, Ohio, and New York; numerous national conferences; and the American Swiss Foundation in Switzerland. His work has been featured on “Fox News’ Sean Hannity” show, National Public Television’s “NOW,” in Wall Street Journal editorials and op-eds, and in the New York Post, Boston Globe, New York Times and on National Public Radio. Bragdon’s research has been published with The Heritage Foundation and The Manhattan Institute. From 2008 to early 2011, Bragdon was CEO of The Maine Heritage Policy Center, a free market think tank based in Portland, Maine. In September 2010, he received the Thomas Roe Award, given annually by the State Policy Network to the individual with the greatest impact on the nation’s free market movement. From 1996 through 2000, he served in the Maine House of Representatives. Elected at the age of 21, Bragdon remains the youngest person ever elected to the Maine Legislature.
For more information on the Critical Thinking Lecture Series visit, http://www.fsw.edu/fye.
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Florida SouthWestern State College is Southwest Florida’s largest and one of the most affordable institutions of higher education. Annually serving nearly 22,000 students globally, FSW offers a variety of nationally-ranked, career-focused academic programs with two- and four-year degrees, and professional certifications. Students are also active in clubs and programs catered to their interests. FSW debuted its intercollegiate athletics program in January 2016. Visit www.FSW.edu for more information.
Last Updated: February 5, 2016
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