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Owning a home is one of the most powerful symbols of the American Dream: a vessel with which Americans can start a family, grow vibrant communities, and build intergenerational wealth. But the history of American home ownership is riddled with inequalities, racism, myopic polices, and economic disasters like the subprime mortgage crisis of 2007. How can we better understand the reality of home ownership in America—its economic, sociological, and racial histories, as well as the cultural productions that shape our imagination of what it means to own a home? In this Dean’s Salon, Deborah L. Nelson, dean of the Division of the Humanities at the University of Chicago, will explore the complexity of American home ownership and housing inequalities in the city of Chicago with the sociologist Robin Bartram and the cultural theorist Adrienne Brown, two preeminent scholars who have researched and written widely about these issues. Topics will include the racialized nature of home ownership, systemic extractions of wealth, and the allure of property—with the aim of generating clarity and new perspectives on re-imagining more equitable, holistic, and sustainable housing solutions for Chicago and other American cities. Please join us for this special hybrid event on February 25, 2025 at 6:30 p.m. (CST). You can participate via Zoom or in person at the Green Line Performing Arts Center, part of UChicago’s Arts + Public Life in Washington Park. The live event will include a reception. To attend in person, please register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/dreaming-home-cultural-imagination-and-racial-realities-of-home-ownership-tickets-1146211492429 This event is free and open to the public; registration is required, and space is limited.