New Interactive Project Highlights Breadth, Scope of American Dream

The “Make America Dream” project features more than 100 dreams and seeks to inspire users to keep dreaming.

The concept of the American Dream can mean so many different things to so many people.

a person stands at a podium and talks into a microphone — The only way to understand the concept of the American Dream is to engage with a multitude of dreams, L’Pree said. (Photo by Arthur Maiorella)

A new interactive website and multimedia project highlights the breadth and diversity of goals and aspirations of Americans, while also seeking to inspire users to keep dreaming.

“Make America Dream” launched Oct. 7 with a series of events at the Hergenhan Auditorium, including a pop-up gallery and conversation between Charisse L’Pree, an associate professor of communications who created the initiative, and Ndidi Massay, vice president of cultural initiatives and diversity at CBS Sports.

“Make America Dream” also serves as the project that will culminate L’Pree’s tenure as the Newhouse Endowed Chair of Public Communications (2022-2025).

“Despite being coined in the 20th century, the sentiment of the American Dream has been present for over 500 years,” L’Pree said. “The notion of a physical place promising a better individual place, that one’s life will be better by simply being within the geographic, political or cultural confines of the United States.”

two people sit in chairs on a stage and talk into microphones — Massay, (right) vice president of cultural initiatives and diversity at CBS Sports, addresses the audience. (Photo by Arthur Maiorella)

“But the power of the phrase ‘American Dream’ comes from the fact that it means different things to different people,” L’Pree added.

The only way to understand the concept of the American Dream is to engage with a multitude of dreams, L’Pree said. “Make America Dream” is a digital collection of 1-minute dreams that invites users to explore different dreams from many people. Each dream or media artifact comes from interviews conducted since 2020 by Newhouse students, who worked with L’Pree.

a banner with text on a window — Dreams lining the windows in Newhouse 3. (Photo by Arthur Maiorella)

Users can explore more than 100 American Dreams from interviewees and sort by demographics like race, gender, sexuality and socioeconomic class across generations. Dreams can also be sorted based on geographic and thematic markers.

“We need to dream the dreams we have not yet dreamt,” L’Pree said. “We need to dream the dreams that others are dreaming.”

Note: Those interested in taking part in “Make America Dream” can sign up at charisselpree.me/tellmydream.