Past Events

Mass migration, and the problems associated with it, have directly abetted the rise of populist parties in Europe. Opposition to immigration was the prime driver of support for Brexit, it brought a far-right party to the German Bundestag for the first time since the 1950s, and propelled Marine Le Pen to win a third of the vote in the French presidential election. In addition to calling for stronger borders, however, these parties are invariably illiberal, anti-American, anti-NATO and pro-Kremlin, making their rise a matter of serious concern for the national security interests of the United States. Vivien A. Schmidt is a professor of Political Science at Boston University, as well as Founding Director of BU’s Center for the Study of Europe. She will speak on the rise of Populism in Europe and the impacts across the world. Image: [Pexels](http://www.pexels.com/photo/blue-and-yellow-round-star-print-textile-113885/)

Join author Sigrún Pálsdóttir and translator Lytton Smith in conversation of Pálsdóttir's novel, _History. A Mess._ as a part of the Transnational Literature Series. While studying a seventeenth-century diary, the protagonist of _History. A Mess._ uncovers information about the first documented professional female artist. This discovery promises to change her academic career, and life in general … until she realizes that her “discovery” was nothing more than two pages stuck together. At this point there’s no going back though, and she goes to great lengths to hide her mistake–undermining her sanity in the process. A shifty, satirical novel that’s funny and colorful, while also raising essential questions about truth, research, and the very nature of belief. Image: Book Cover

Washington Post Supreme Court Reporter Robert Barnes leads a discussion with three law professors— Gary Lawson, Kate Shaw and Jed Shugerman—to examine the shift in the Supreme Court and its power to determine the direction of hot button issues including reproductive rights, gun laws, and immigration. The panel looks at the Court as a bellwether of this nation and examines the power of the highest court, asking if the court reflects the views of the country and where it’s headed. Image credit: Front row, left to right: Associate Justice Stephen G. Breyer, Associate Justice Clarence Thomas, Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Jr., Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Associate Justice Samuel A. Alito. Back row: Associate Justice Neil M. Gorsuch, Associate Justice Sonia Sotomayor, Associate Justice Elena Kagan, Associate Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh. [Photo by Fred Schilling, Collection of the Supreme Court of the United States](https://www.supremecourt.gov/about/justices.aspx)

Maggie Schpak is an emeritus jeweler and prop maker, and we all know her work — it’s in every episode of Star Trek the series, and features in all the Star Trek movies, as well as through other legendary film and television, the international runway, in museum exhibits, and adorning some high-profile rock stars. Maggie doesn't often make public appearances to tell her stories and share her knowledge in the fascinating TV and movie prop-making craft. Star Trek continues to be a powerful cultural agent, anchored around the premise of a ‘Prime Directive’, it projects the possibility of compassion in an integrated, peace oriented, collaborative multiverse. Via its ornament, images, and ideology, the show inspires fans to look beyond today to a better future. Image: Event Image

Country music has taken Boston by storm—and we are fully on board! Even Ken Burns has a new documentary coming out next month about country. Embrace your love for country music, hear the local history and learn a dance in September's BostonTalks. Image: [Pexels.com](https://www.pexels.com/search/country%20music/)

CNN law enforcement analyst Josh Campbell, former special assistant to FBI Director James Comey, discusses his new book "Crossfire Hurricane: Inside Donald Trump's War on the FBI". Campbell covers his experience beginning two weeks before Trump's inauguration when he joined the heads of the US Intelligence community on a briefing visit to Trump Tower in New York City. He is joined in conversation with homeland security expert and analyst Juliette Kayyem. Image: [Book Cover](http://www.harvard.com/event/josh_campbell/)

How do we develop Latinx leaders and increase Latinx leadership? Join Boston-area thinkers, activists, artists, and entrepreneurs for a discussion inspired by the MFA's Latinx Heritage Night, a celebration of Latinx culture. Image: Event Image

The USA was founded in pursuit of a more perfect union. In the Elections Clause (Art I, Section 4) and several amendments (XIV, XV, XVII, XIX, XXIII, XXIV, and XXVI), the Constitution enshrines, explicitly or implicitly, the right to vote — a political and legal journey that continues to be challenging and complex. Though the American republic is certainly more democratic than it once was, issues such as voter ID laws, voter registration purges, and partisan gerrymandering have raised concerns about electoral fraud and discrimination against minorities. Recent Supreme Court decisions — Shelby County v. Holder (2013) and Rucho v. Common Cause (2019) — have failed to address key questions. How do states balance the integrity of elections and the individual right to vote? What role does the federal government have in preserving democracy throughout the USA?

Protests in Hong Kong have escalated over the summer of 2019 with pro-Democracy demonstrators galvanized in response to the Chinese government’s crackdown. Cambridge Forum examines the situation both inside and outside mainland China with regard to human rights.Teng Biao, is a human rights lawyer attached to the U.S.-Asia Law Institute, at NYU and he is joined by Uyghur-American Salih Hudayar and activist Kyle Olbert, who discusses the challenges facing both the Chinese Communist party and the ethnic minorities who resist the Chinese policy of oppression which they say is being carried out under the guise of “counter-terrorism”. Image: [Voice of America](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Protesters_waving_the_Hong_Kong_colonial_flag_in_front_of_China_liaison_office_in_Hong_Kong_02.jpg)

Presented by the Paul Revere Memorial Association at Old South Meeting House. Lecture by Walter Johnson, Winthrop Professor of History and Professor of African and African American Studies, Harvard University. Image: [Library of Congress, Geography and Map Division.](http://www.loc.gov/resource/g3701sm.gct00482/?sp=25&r=-0.128,-0.048,1.236,0.804,0)