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Blog archive

August 2026

A Gallery of Neighbors: The Village Art Group’s Group Show
08/28/2026

A New and Improved Way to Stay Safer Online
08/28/2026

A Trip to The Geffen Galleries
08/28/2026

Barrier Free Living - A Path to Living a More Independent Lifestyle
08/28/2026

Conversations with Art
08/28/2026

MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT
08/28/2026

Member Connections with Music Conductor Bill Bing
08/28/2026

Pasadena Heritage Walking Tour
08/28/2026

In Their Hands
08/23/2026

Ease of Being: Managing the stuff of everyday life
08/20/2026

A Tribute to Fire Debris Remediators and Their Super-Sized Dump Trucks
08/18/2026

Really Irene?
08/15/2026

There Is A Risk
08/09/2026

2026 Year in Review
08/03/2026

A Message From Your Newly Elected President
08/03/2026

Neighborhoods Within the Village
08/03/2026

Reflection from PUSD Intern Isabella "Izzy" Roberts
08/03/2026

Reflection on Service & Joy from 2025/26 President Dick Myers
08/03/2026

The Villager Engagement Team Welcomed 54 New Villagers
08/03/2026

Treasurer’s Report
08/03/2026

What Activity! The Cultural Activities Team Report
08/03/2026

An Even Exchange
08/01/2026

July 2026

June 2026

May 2026

April 2026

March 2026

February 2026

January 2026

Outclassed by Joan C. Williams

By Richard Myers
Posted: 10/01/2025
Tags:

Our next scheduled meeting will take place on Thursday, October 17 at 12:00pm Pacific (our usual time and link). 

In preparation, I’d like to share a resource I found particularly engaging: Outclassed by Joan C. Williams, Distinguished Professor of Law and Director of the Equality Action Center at UC Law San Francisco. The book is a data-rich critique of how progressive elites have grown disconnected from non-college-educated Americans, offering ways to bridge the “diploma divide” and build a more inclusive, cross-class political coalition.

I found Williams’ analysis especially compelling in how she highlights the shared values between elites and non-elites—and how differences in language and framing often obscure those commonalities. When I reached Chapter 14, I was particularly struck by its focus on race issues among the elites, which feels especially relevant to our ongoing 1619 discussions.

I contacted the author, who graciously granted permission for us to use Chapter 14 as the basis of our October discussion. A copy of this chapter is available for your reference. Please note: in the process of converting the text from the book into a computer-readable file, some small transcription errors were introduced (such as dropped letters). These are not part of the published text and do not affect readability.

I encourage everyone to read Chapter 14 ahead of the meeting—and, if you’re able, to dive into the entire book. It’s a thought-provoking work that I believe will enrich our conversation.

As always, guests are welcome. If you now anyone who is interested, please share this information with them. 

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