Previous Speakers

Dr. Devlon N. Jackson
Digital Health: Connected and Disconnected with Communities of Color
Monday, September 19
Event Flyer (PDF, )

Robert F. Teitel
Teitel Family: Through the Lens of the Holocaust
Thursday, November 17
Event Flyer (PDF, )

Ross Gay
Joy and Gratitude
Tuesday, February 22
Event Flyer (PDF, )

Dr. Fred Logevall, with Rachel Flor
Reconsidering the Life of JFK:  A Discussion with Dr. Fredrik Logevall
Tuesday, March 22
Event Flyer (PDF, )

Dr. André de Quadros
Freedom Dreaming: The Arts for Hope and Activism
Tuesday, April 26
Event Flyer (PDF, )

Congressman Jamie Raskin
Partnerships, Polarization & Constitutional Patriotism
Monday, September 20
Event Flyer (PDF, )

Dr. Susan Speaker & Ms. Christie Moffatt
History Is Happening Now: COVID-19 Collecting at the National Library of Medicine
Thursday, October 14
Event Flyer (PDF, )

Doron Ezickson
Understanding and Responding to Contemporary Antisemitism
presented by the Paul Peck Humanities Institute
Tuesday, November 9
Event Flyer (PDF, )

Dr. Jewell Parker Rhodes
Celebrating Empathy and  Resilience, Empowering Voices for Social Justice
Wednesday, February 24
Event Flyer (PDF, )

Misoo Bang
The Journey of the Giantess
Tuesday, April 27
Event Flyer (PDF, )

Theodora “Dora” Klayman
Testimony of a Holocaust Survivor from Croatia
Tuesday, November 10
Event Flyer (PDF, )

Harry E. Johnson Sr.
A Look Into What the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Means to Us
Tuesday, September 22
Event Flyer (PDF, )

Jaquira Díaz
Ordinary Girls: A Memoir
Wednesday, February 19
Event Flyer (PDF, )

Amplifying Community Voices: Public Art and Social Change, Michelle Angela Ortiz
Monday, September 16
Event flyer (PDF, )

"Field notes: Race, Love, and Violence in the Melting Pot”, Keith Wilson
Wednesday, February 13
Event flyer  (PDF, )

"Chocolate and the Flowery World: Indigenous Aesthetics and Colonial Appropriation", Marcy Norton
Thursday, March 7
Event flyer  (PDF, )

“Model Favela: Imagination and Inequality in Brazil”, Alessandro Angelini
Wednesday, April 3
Event flyer  (PDF, )

“Not Just Politics As Usual: Making American Democracy Work in an Era of ‘Fake News’ and Hyperpartisanship”, Lauren Bell
Monday, April 22
Event flyer (PDF, )  

Fall 2018 Event Flyer (PDF, )  

Elijah Anderson
"The Cosmopolitan Canopy: Race and Civility in Everyday Lifenew window”
Thursday, September 27

Erica Wright
“All the Bayou Stories End with Drowned: Poetry and the 24-Hour News Cycle”
Wednesday, October 24

Myrna Goldenberg
4th Annual Bella Mischkinsky Memorial Lecture, “Women’s Voices from the Holocaustnew window”
Tuesday, November 13

Siva Vaidhyanathan
“Antisocial Media: How Facebook Disconnects Us and Undermines Democracynew window”
Thursday, November 29

Spring 2018 Event Flyer  (PDF, )  

Helon Habila, new windowThe Chibok Girls: The Boko Haram Kidnappings and Islamist Militancy in Nigeria
Wednesday, February 14

Craig Shirley, new windowReagan Rising: The Decisive Years, 1976-1980
Tuesday, February 27

John (Jack) Farrell, new windowRichard Nixon: The Life
Monday, April 9

Ilissa Ocko, PhD, new windowClimate Change: What Is Happening, and What Can We Do About It?
Tuesday, April 24

Fall 2017 Event Flyer  (PDF, )

The Next America: Demographic Change and Political Polarization, Paul Taylornew window
Monday, October 2

The Wide Circumference of Love, Marita Goldennew window
Tuesday, October 17

There Goes the Neighborhood: How Communities Overcome Prejudice and Meet the Challenge of American Immigration, Ali Noorani
Tuesday, November 14t

3rd Annual Bella Mischkinsky Memorial Lecture delivered by Holocaust Survivor, Emanuel (Manny) Mandelnew window
Tuesday, December 5

Spring 2017 Event Flyer (PDF, )

Tuesday, February 7
Justyne Fischer, Award Winning Artist and Educator
Exhibit Videonew window

Wednesday, February 8
Amy Nutt, Author

Tuesday, February 21
Dwight Watkins, Author

Tuesday, March 28
Kiese Laymon, Author

Thursday, April 6th
Aminatta Forna, Author

Tuesday, April 18th
Vaddey Ratner, Author new window

Fall 2016 Event Flyer (PDF, )  

Thursday, September 15
Thomas Frank, Author

Wednesday, September 28
Nadia Hashimi, Author

Wednesday, October 19
Marianne Schnall, Author/Editor

Tuesday, November 1
Ambassador Delano Lewis, U.S. Ambassador to South Africa (1999-2001)

Spring 2016 Event Flyer (PDF, )

Wednesday, February 3
Dr. Luis Branco, co-founder of Zalgen Labs

Wednesday, March 2
Leonard Pitts, Pulitzer Prize for Commentary
Race and Social Justice: Why Black Lives Matter

Monday,March 21 
Dervish with Cathy Jordan

Tuesday, April 5
Jennifer Lawless, author

Monday, April 25 
Victoria Chang, poet

Fall 2015 Event Flyer (PDF, )

Thursday, September 10
Richard Reeves, author

Tuesday, October 13 
Samantha Lakin, Fulbright Scholar

Tuesday, October 20 
Manal Omar, VP, U.S. Institute for Peace

Wednesday,November 11
Knight Kiplinger, Economic Journalist

Spring 2015 Event Flyer (PDF, )   .

Tuesday, February 24
Jennifer Clement: Author, Awarded National Endowment of the Arts Fellowship, President of PEN Mexico

Tuesday, March 3
Anya Schiffrin: Author/editor Director, Media and Communications, School of International Affairs, Columbia University

Tuesday, April 7
Ambassador Akbar Ahmed: Author The Thistle and the Drone (2013) - awarded 2014 German Peace Prize.

Wednesday, May 6
Brian McNeill: Renowned musician International Scottish musician and singer, who plays over five instruments

Fall 2014 Event Flyer  (PDF, )

Wednesday, September 10
Dr. Hercules Pinkney: "The 50th Anniversary of the Civil Rights Act of 1964: The Personal Experiences and Reflections of Dr. Pinkney"

Wednesday, October 1
Reyna Grande: Author of The Distance Between Us

Thursday, October 9
South African Ambassador Ebrahim Rasool: South Africa Today: Its Challenges and Triumphs

Monday, November 3
Julie-Hera Destefano: Journey to Normal: Women of War Come Home

Spring 2014 Event Flyer  (PDF, )

Tuesday, February 11
Bill Press: "Can Anybody Save Washington?"

Wednesday, February 26
Paul Monteiro & Distinguished Panel of Interfaith Leaders: Interfaith Dialogue - Its Significance in Public Policy & The White House

Wednesday, March 26
Lisa Crooms: Using Human Rights to Advance Our Common Humanity

Wednesday, April 2
Sheila Kay Adams: Ballard Singing, Storytelling, and Banjo Performance

Monday, April 14
Noor: Screening of Drama: Written by Akbar Ahmed and Directed by Manjula Kumar, Followed by Distinguished Panel: Director, Actors, and Frank Islam

Wednesday, April 30 
Charles Williams: Accompanied by Betty Bullock, formerly of the Washington Opera : Opera, The American Song Book, and Poetry of Langston Hughes

Fall 2013 Event Flyer (PDF, )

Tuesday, September 10 
Frank Islam: Entrepreneur, Author, Philanthropist

Monday, September 23
Vic Fazio: Former U.S. Congressman/Senior Advisor to Akin Gump

Monday, October 14 
Arun Gandhi: Grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, Author, and Socio-Political Activist

Tuesday, October 29 
Exit 12 Dance Company: Founded by Roman Baca, Former Marine and classical ballet dancer

Thursday, November 14
Dr. Maria Massi Dakake: Author and Professor of Religious Studies and Director of Interdisciplinary Islamic Studies at George Mason University

Tuesday, December 3
William Chang: Classical Pianist and MC Music Professor

Spring 2013 Event Flyer  (PDF, )

Historian Anthony Cohen’s work springs from his 1996 two-month-long journey to explore a tragically overlooked part of American history—the Underground Railroad.

Vaddey Ratner was born in Cambodia, where her father was a descendant of the early 20th century King Sisowath.

When Carolyn Cook, a graduate of American University, was laid off from her job, she decided that corporate America was not for her and it was time to work for something she truly believed in: women’s rights.

Ambassador Ira Shapiro, an international trade lawyer, is one of Washington's most respected public servants, serving in the Senate and in the Clinton White House.

Fall 2012 Event Flyer (PDF, )

October 11, 2012
Earning both his A.B. and LL.B. from Harvard University, Peter Edelman has served in all three branches of government.

October 24, 2012
Before becoming Ambassador of India to the United States, Ambassador Nirupama Rao held the post of Indian Foreign Secretary.

November 8, 2012
Jay Wilkinson, halfback for Duke University, was named All-American and Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Year, and finished eighth in the voting for the Heisman trophy.

December 4, 2012
William Chang received his D.M.A. degree from University of Maryland at College Park.

Spring 2012 Event Flyer (PDF, )  

February 1, 2012
Robert Blake was the Ambassador to Sri Lanka and the Maldives from 2006 to 2009. Prior to that position, Blake served for 3 years as Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Mission in New Delhi.

February 15, 2012
Don Bliss served in the Peace Corps and was Ambassador for the United States on the Council of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) in Montreal, Canada from 2006-2009.

March 21, 2012
Patrick Beldio earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Notre Dame University and an MFA in Sculpture from The George Washington University.

April 11, 2012
Frank Islam has been recognized by Ernst and Young as the Entrepreneur of the Year. He is the author of Renewing the American Dream: A Citizen’s Guide for Restoring Our Competitive Advantage.

Fall 2011 Event Flyer  (PDF, )

October 12, 2011
Ira Berlin, Professor of History, has captured the hearts and souls of many throughout his career, beginning with his first book, Slaves Without Masters: The Free Negro in the Antebellum South (1977).

October 24, 2011
Lise Bruneau is an accomplished director and actor having performed numerous roles and directed various Shakespearean performances throughout the US and UK.

October 24, 2011
Marcus Kyd has performed a variety of roles from Cyrano to Lysander, Mortimer to Hamlet and recently performed Bootleg Shakespeare: King John at the Folger Theatre.

November 2, 2011
Lilly Ledbetter was paid considerably less than her male counterparts when she worked at Goodyear. She filed a lawsuit against them, which eventually reached the Supreme Court.