Emerson Collective Launches "Inside Out/Dreamers" Project to Underscore Urgency of Passing the Dream Act

PALO ALTO, Calif., Oct. 25, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- In the face of the Administration's termination of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, Emerson Collective will participate in the "Inside Out/Dreamers" project to provide communities and local leaders a unique platform to use art as an expression of standing in solidarity with Dreamers.

"Inside Out/Dreamers" is a nationwide participatory art initiative by award-winning artist JR to create a portrait of America that reflects its true diversity. "Inside Out/Dreamers" will travel the country taking individual portraits that give visual expression to the overwhelming support for Dreamers. From California to Florida, Emerson Collective will organize community events and pop-up press conferences with Dreamers, activists, elected officials and local leaders. These events will underscore that with the repeal of DACA in September, tens of thousands of DACA recipients are already losing their status and are at risk of deportation. Hundreds of thousands more will begin to lose their status early next year unless Congress acts now to pass The Dream Act.

"The immigrants in our midst seek opportunity and welcome responsibility. We should not be wary of them. We should welcome them," said Laurene Powell Jobs, President of Emerson Collective. "And their children are among our greatest assets. To hurt these children is to hurt ourselves, our society as a whole. The abolition of DACA represents a betrayal of both our values and our interests."

For more information about "Inside Out/Dreamers" please visit www.insideoutproject.net/dreamers/.
Cities and dates include:

• Champaign, IL - Wednesday, October 25
• Springfield, IL - Thursday, October 26
• Naperville, IL - Saturday, October 28
• Chicago, IL - Monday, October 30-Tuesday, October 31
• San Diego, CA - Monday, October 30-Tuesday, October 31
• Batavia, IL - Wednesday, November 1
• Costa Mesa, CA - Wednesday, November 1
• Huntington Beach, CA - Thursday, November 2
• South Bend, IN - Friday, November 3
• Long Beach, CA - Saturday, November 4-Sunday, November 5
• Atlanta, GA - Monday, November 6
• Los Angeles, CA - Monday, November 6-Tuesday, November 7
• Tampa, FL - Wednesday, Nov 8
• Bakersfield, CA - Thursday, November 9-Friday, November 10
• Miami, FL - Friday, November 10-Saturday, November 11
• West Palm Beach, FL - Sunday, November 12
• Las Vegas, NV - Monday, November 13-Tuesday, November 14
• Orlando, FL - Wednesday, November 15-Thursday, November 16
• Carson City, NV - Thursday, November 16
• Reno, NV - Friday, November 17
• Charlotte, NC - Saturday, November 18
• Greensboro, NC - Sunday, November 19
• Salt Lake City, UT - Monday, November 20-Tuesday, November 21
• Fayetteville, NC - Tuesday, November 21
• Grand Junction, CO - Tuesday, November 28
• Phoenix, AZ - Thursday, November 30
• Tucson, AZ - Friday, December 1
• Houston, TX - Tuesday, December 5-Wednesday, December 6
• Memphis, TN - Friday, December 8
• Nashville, TN - Monday, December 11
• Lancaster, PA - Wednesday, December 13
• Reading, PA - Thursday, December 14
• Philadelphia, PA - Friday, December 15-Saturday, December 16
• Washington, DC - Monday, December 18-Tuesday, December 19

PRESS interested in covering any of these stops, please contact: 
Meridith Webster, [email protected], (202) 302-5626
For additional information, please visit: http://www.emersoncollective.com

ABOUT EMERSON COLLECTIVE
Emerson Collective is an organization dedicated to removing barriers to opportunity so people can live to their full potential. Established and led by Laurene Powell Jobs, Emerson Collective centers its work on education, immigration reform, the environment and other social justice initiatives. They use a wide range of tools and strategies—partnering with entrepreneurs and experts, parents and policymakers, advocates and administrators—to develop and execute innovative solutions that will spur change and promote equality.

ABOUT THE INSIDE OUT PROJECT AND ARTIST JR
JR is most recently known for his latest art installation of a child caught between the U.S.-Mexico border. Born to a Tunisian mother and European father in the banlieues of Paris, JR started out as a graffiti tagger. He has since become one of the most visible contemporary artists on the international stage. In 2004, JR created his first major project, photographing the faces of rioters in Paris' banlieues and pasting up large prints of their faces around the city. This approach, which humanized a largely immigrant populace, has become JR's trademark.

In 2011, JR won the TED prize at the TED Conference in Long Beach, California, and called for the creation of "Inside Out Project." Since 2011, over 300,000 people have participated in 138 countries. The project has traveled from Ecuador to Nepal, from Mexico to Indonesia, inspiring group actions on varied themes such as hope, diversity, gender-based violence and climate change.

SOURCE Emerson Collective