Berkley Center

On March 18, the Georgetown community and public were invited to join two events exploring New Orleans’ music and traditions:

1. Screening of City of a Million Dreams (3:30-5:15 p.m., EDT). City of a Million Dreams traces the history of New Orleans’ famed burial tradition, the jazz funeral. It follows two New Orleanians, writer Deb Cotton and clarinetist Dr. Michael White, as they search for the soul of the city among the dead. City of a Million Dreams was directed by Jason Berry (C’71). The screening was followed by Q&A with Jason Berry and Dr. Michael White.

2. Music performance by the Dr. Michael White Quartet (5:30-6:30 p.m., EDT). Dr. Michael White is one of New Orleans’ most acclaimed musicians. He is a clarinetist and the Rosa and Charles Keller Endowed Chair in the Humanities at Xavier University.

Both events were live in-person only. A video recording of the Q&A portion of the film screening will be available online after the event.

These events coincide with the launch of the Center for the Study of Slavery and its Legacies at Georgetown University this spring 2023. Originally envisioned by the Working Group on Slavery, Memory, and Reconciliation, the Center for the Study of Slavery and its Legacies is a new institutional home to bring together academic and research initiatives as part of Georgetown’s ongoing commitments in Slavery, Memory, and Reconciliation. Led by its inaugural director, Professor Adam Rothman, the center will both pursue rigorous new scholarship and innovate in disseminating knowledge about the history of enslavement and its present-day legacies.

This event was co-sponsored by Georgetown University's Departments of African American Studies, History, and Performing Arts; American Studies Program; Film and Media Studies Program; Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs; Lannan Center for Poetics and Social Practice; Medical Humanities Initiative; Georgetown Humanities Initiative; College of Arts & Sciences; and Office of the President.

Public Health Measures: In order to comply with Event and Visitor Requirements, if you are not a current Georgetown University student, faculty, or staff member, please fill out this form with your COVID-19 vaccination information and complete the symptom check you receive via email the morning of the event.