American Dreams: A Deeper History

The American Dreams project chronicles more than a century of the intersecting lives of two families, linked through the United States’ institution of slavery. The great-great-granddaughter of one of these families is Berklee’s Lacretia Johnson Flash, senior vice president for DEI, community, and campus culture and climate. Flash worked with the team of journalists involved in this investigative report that traced the trajectory of her family of farmers, educators, and business leaders from rural Tennessee across many generations. This project also examined the family of a current US congressman, whose ancestors enslaved hers, exploring the paths that each family took and the lasting impact of discrimination on the social and economic opportunities for Blacks and whites in the US.

American Dreams is part of the Reuters series Slavery’s Descendants, a deep exploration of the ancestral ties to slaveholding of today’s political elite and the reverberations that are still felt today. The American Dreams story was featured on NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt.

This event will feature an engaging discussion with three of the journalists who worked on this project along with Flash. Reuter’s investigative journalist Nicholas Brown researched and wrote American Dreams, which is a compelling analysis of the lives of two families across many generations. Photographer and Reuters photojournalist Kevin Wurm provided arresting visual images and sensitive portraiture to help tell this story through visual artistry. Blayne Alexander, a correspondent for NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt, the Today Show, and MSNBC, among other platforms, conducted powerful interviews that were aired on NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt.

In addition to the panel discussion, David Bogen, Berklee’s interim president and provost, and Ron Savage, executive director and vice president for Berklee College of Music, will offer their reflections. Light refreshments will be served. 

Panelist Biographies

Dr. Lacretia Johnson-Flash

Dr. Lacretia Johnson-Flash is senior vice president for DEI, community, and campus culture and climate at Berklee College of Music. Flash provides strategic vision and leadership for Berklee’s institutional diversity and inclusion initiatives and priorities. She advises Berklee’s leaders on strategies to achieve inclusive excellence and collaborates with stakeholders and partners across the institution to support the goal of becoming a more inclusive community. Throughout her career, Flash has helped lead institutional diversity and inclusion efforts and has contributed to the national conversation on diversity and multicultural change in higher education through her research and scholarship on multicultural organizational development, as well as a nationally recognized diversity, equity, and inclusion professional development series.

Nicholas Brown

Nicholas Brown is a correspondent for Reuters, specializing in social and racial inequity in America. His previous work includes American Dreams, which follows two families, including the ancestors of Dr. Lacretia Johnson-Flash, and their connection to a US congressman. This story was featured on NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt. Their journeys since emancipation illustrate a broader truth about US history and the lasting impact of discrimination on economic opportunities for both Blacks and whites.

Kevin Wurm

Kevin Wurm is a self-taught photographer based in Nashville, Tennessee, who has worked with esteemed publications such as Reuters and the New York Times. Specializing in portraiture, photojournalism, and fine art, Wurm's creative prowess stems from his profound connection with his subjects and environment. His versatility, perceptive awareness, and innate gift for empathetic communication converge seamlessly to yield photographs that capture the essence of moments, etching them into the tapestry of time with intimacy and grace.

Blayne Alexander

Blayne Alexander is an Atlanta, Georgia–based correspondent for NBC News, where she reports for all platforms, including NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt, the Today Show, and MSNBC. Alexander's passion is telling stories, and she finds great joy in meeting new people, starting discussions, satisfying her often-unquenchable curiosity, and working to amplify the voices of those who feel unheard. Her reporting has taken her around the world—from the White House to Wimbledon, Singapore to Melbourne, Australia, and—her personal favorite—the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.