Ronald Reagan and the Fight for Freedom

On June 12, 1987, President Ronald Reagan stood at the Berlin Wall and admonished the Soviet government. “Mr. Gorbechev,” Reagan famously said, “tear down this wall!” Two years later, the wall came down, and the Cold War ended, spurred by Reagan’s clear-eyed approach to dealing with what he called an “evil empire”.

Where did Reagan get his moral clarity? And how did his foreign policy of opposition to Soviet communism connect with his domestic policy of free markets? These are vital questions 35 years later, as we face problems similar to those that confronted Reagan: renewed economic problems like inflation, growing calls for bigger government, and the rise of international challenges from countries like Russia and China. In these challenging times, what lessons does Reagan have for us today?

To help navigate this new era, Ashbrook is hosting a special webinar. Dr. Chris Burkett, Director of the Ashbrook Scholar Program, and Dr. Greg McBrayer, Director of Ashbrook’s Citizen Programs, will join Ashbrook Executive Director Jeff Sikkenga to take a close look at Ronald Reagan’s “Tear down this wall!” speech and what it means for today. Dr. Burkett is an expert on American foreign policy and particularly the presidency of Ronald Reagan, and Dr. McBrayer was raised in West Berlin during the time of Reagan’s historic visit.

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