Sticky Note Conversations

Host Erika Washington revisits the recurring Sticky Note Conversations question—“What’s your version of the American Dream?”—through clips from past guests who define it as health and happiness, equality and cultural coexistence, a safety net for housing and healthcare, the right to rest and global awareness, hope as an immigrant, collective responsibility, freedom and time, safety for children, and reparations and equity. The episode also examines the origins of the term from James Truslow Adams’ 1931 The Epic of America, with scholars discussing how the dream was shaped by the Great Depression, Jefferson and Hamilton’s competing visions, industrialization, slavery, segregation, and critiques of assimilation and colorblindness, including references to MLK and Malcolm X. Erika closes by reflecting on whose dreams fit together, who is left out, and the need to keep talking.