Barack obama. This is a 45 minutes. My name is steve crown and on behalf of the crown family its my pleasure to welcome you to the Second Annual leicester crown distinguished lecture on u. S. Foreign policy. For last your selection we hosted former defense secretary jim mattis in front of an audience of 900, a scenario which would be unthinkable today. Covid19 pandemic has transformed americas economy, society and international relations. And along with protest for Racial Justice there are questions about americas Global Leadership, image and power. These questions have elevated the importance of the work of the leicester crown center on u. S. Foreign policy and the Chicago Council which my siblings and i founded in 2018. The Center Serves as a forum for the discussion and elevation of diverse perspectives on the big global questions. They can be policymakers, military leaders, journalists and analysts on stage stop the year to discuss their insights with the public and others. The cen