Hands Across America

Presenter: Elsa Torres

Presenter Status: Undergraduate student

Academic Year: 20-21

Semester: Fall

Faculty Mentor: Michaela Grobbel

Department: Modern Languages & Literatures

Funding Source/Sponsor: SYRCE Symposium

Screenshot URL: https://drive.google.com/uc?id=1oECUecaNGZRtWEdlhQ9mcZjeyq5VX6Gx

Abstract:
My research project focuses on Hands Across America that took place in the USA in May 25th of 1986. It was an event that literally had 5 million citizens hold hands throughout America in 17 different states in order to raise awareness of hunger and homelessness in this country. It was a very successful and well-advertised event. Although the organizers had hoped to raise more money than they did, they raised awareness of food insecurity and homelessness as a social problem at the national level. Celebrities, even President Reagan himself, participated in this event. My project focused on this event and how they all united as one to raise money for homelessness and hunger. It comes to show that if we just unite as one that same way, we can fight problems head on and hopefully get rid of them, which is something seen today.  Some of us have decided that we don’t want to work as one which is why we have so far been one of the countries with serious COVID problems even almost 8 months since the pandemic has started. If we would’ve all united and worked as one, by following regulations, wearing masks, staying home if possible, we wouldn’t be one of the countries with the most COVID cases and deaths.