Past Events

Over one million Black men and women served in World War II. Black troops were at Normandy, Iwo Jima, and the Battle of the Bulge, serving in segregated units and performing vital support jobs. The stories of these Black veterans have long been ignored, as the myth of the “Good War” fought by the “Greatest Generation” has prevailed. Half American shares the experiences and impact of such heroes as Thurgood Marshall, the chief lawyer for the NAACP; Benjamin O. Davis, Jr., leader of the Tuskegee Airmen; Ella Baker, the civil rights leader who advocated on the home front for Black soldiers, veterans, and their families; James Thompson, who laid bare the hypocrisy of fighting against fascism abroad when racism still reigned at home; and poet Langston Hughes, who worked as a war correspondent for the Black press. Don’t miss Dr. Delmont’s meticulously researched retelling and learning more about these individuals’ bravery and patriotism in the face of racism.

What kind of society do we wish to live in? Nobel Laureate and physicist, Steven Weinberg once said that science discovers many things but nothing in science can ever tell us what we ought to value. At a time when interest and investment in the humanities is plummeting, and enrolment in STEM subjects is flourishing, we consider the human consequences of such a shift in direction. What good are the arts and why should we care about the past? Martin Puchner, has been grappling with these questions in his latest book "CULTURE: THE STORY OF US, FROM CAVE ART TO K-POP". Historically, humanity has sought to understand and pass onto future generations not just the know-how of life but the know-why. Puchner suggests that the meaning and purpose of existence as expressed in art, philosophy and religion are essential to the focus and purpose of human civilization. Puchner is an author & Harvard Professor of English and Comparative Literature. Patrick Bringley, a writer, spent 10 years working as a museum guard at the Museum of Metropolitan Art in New York and he has just published “ALL THE BEAUTY IN THE WORLD” about his many and varied experiences there. What is the function of a place like the MET and what effects does it have on our psyche and humanity? Join the discussion.

While the last few tumultuous years have heightened uncertainties about our food supplies, there’s some good news coming out of the regenerative agriculture movement. Regenerative practices restore degraded land, increase soil productivity, sequester carbon and store water. Because protein is needed by people of all ages, and a decrease in protein could exacerbate health problems among the poor and especially in children, access to a consistent supply of healthy meat is important. This presentation outlines proven, science- based practices for producing grass-fed beef that can be adapted to climatic conditions anywhere in the US. Widespread adoption of regenerative grazing of beef cattle can shorten supply chains and make every region of the country more resilient to shocks to the food system, such as pandemics, fire, ransomware attacks, war and extreme weather events. Instead of the current centralized beef-production system, whereby a number of states in the Corn Belt are largely devoted to growing grain that is trucked long distances to feedlots, we can raise and fatten healthy beef cattle region by region, entirely on grass and forage, with no grain. We will describe the principles and benefits of regenerative grazing, and offer a model that farmers and ranchers all around the US can adopt in order to supply healthy, 100% grass-fed beef to nearby communities: stores, restaurants, CSAs, and institutions. This talk is part of the series "Life Saves the Planet" produced with Biodiversity for a Livable Climate. ### Resources [Link to the book Lynne and Ridge co-authored ](https://www.chelseagreen.com/product/grass-fed-beef-for-a-post-pandemic-world/) [2 Simple Maps That Reveal How American Agriculture Actually Works - Huffpost.com ](https://www.huffpost.com/entry/largest-crop-each-state_n_6488930) [Regenerative grazing triples biomass production ](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301479722001499?via%3Dihub) [Health-Promoting Phytonutrients Are Higher in Grass-Fed Meat and Milk](https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fsufs.2020.555426/full) [Chris Gill, “Desert Grasslands Restoration: Manejo Holistico in Chihuahua–Las Damas Ranch,” June 15, 2015, Pitchstone Waters, ](https://pitchstonewaters.com/manejo-holistico-in-chihuahua-las-damas-ranch/) [https://pitchstonewaters.com/manejo-holistico-in-chihuahua-las-damas-ranch/.](https://doi.org/10.2489/jswc.71.2.156) [Jennifer Hayden, “Cattle Are Part of the Climate Solution: A Conversation with Rangeland Ecologist Richard Teague, PhD, Analyzing the Role that Adaptive Multi-Paddock Cattle Grazing Plays in Sequestering Carbon,” Rodale Institute, August 28, 2020,](https://rodaleinstitute.org/blog/cattle-are-part-of-the-climate-solution/) [Peter Bruce-Iri, “Methane Sources, Sinks, and Uncertainties,” Research Gate, Technical Report, October 2021](https://www.researchgate.net/publication/355789160_METHANE_Sources_Sinks_and_Uncertainties?channel=doi&linkId=617e29f20be8ec17a9505975&showFulltext=true)

The Biden administration has inherited a challenging geopolitical landscape, with great power competition with China intensifying, multilateral cooperation weakening, and threats of climate change, pandemic diseases, nuclear weapons, and cyber warfare rising. How can the United States leverage its alliances with its North American neighbors to advance democratic leadership and the liberal international order? Join us to learn more about Biden’s agenda from the perspective of two of the U.S.’s strongest partners with Rodger Cuzner, Consul General of Canada in Boston, and Alberto Fierro Garza, Consul General of Mexico in Boston.

For decades, parents have been bombarded by messages imploring them to do more for their children. There has been a cultural shift expecting parents to do everything from playing to problem solving. In this effort to protect their children, many parents have actually stripped them of their coping capabilities. In our latest Jonathan Samen Hot Buttons, Cool Conversations discussion series we ask, how can those who mean only the best for their kids end up hampering their development? We will look at cultural differences and varying parenting styles to examine if doing less is actually helping more.

Join Revolutionary Spaces, GBH Forum Network, Boston's poet laureate Porsha Olayiwola, and experts in the cultural and historical landscape on January 19th to explore the enduring question, "What ideals should bind us together as a nation?" This past September, Revolutionary Spaces engaged Boston's poet laureate, Porsha Olayiwola, to write a poem inspired by the words of our community. Join this revolutionary group of thought leaders online as Porsha shares her work and we engage in a lively panel discussion about the ideology through which we find fraternity and national identity. This transformative, virtual program is supported through the generosity of the Lowell Foundation, the New England Women's Club Fund, and Mass Humanities.

Coastal wetlands and salt marshes are major ecosystems . They also absorb and store large amounts of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2), which, combined with CO2 absorbed in ocean ecosystems, is called “blue carbon." These ecosystems are especially important in this era of climate change, but there is still much to learn about the absorption systems. Dr. Fulweiler discusses how she and her colleagues are working to measure this process. The Fulweiler team is also developing a citizen-science participation project.

Something exciting and unexpected has been happening over the past few years. More than 300 new independent bookstores have sprouted up across the country and the bookstore owners and their inventory have become much more diverse. The phenomenon is in some part, attributable to the pandemic. People were shuttered in for extended periods and had time to read. Secondly, they recognized their hunger for a place of connection that was safe. The public had rallied rather unexpectedly to support their local bookstores during lockdown and when restrictions relaxed, people returned to their favorite places. These bookstores represented much more than anonymous Amazonian warehouses for purchasing; they had become much-needed centers for community engagement and dialogue, crucibles for ideas and human interaction. Consequently, all sorts of people with no professional background in books, used their savings or government stimulus checks to follow a dream of opening their own bookstore. Despite the numerous ongoing challenges, nobody seems to have regretted their decision. So, what makes a bookstore special and why become a bookseller? In this Forum we talk to a variety of bookstore owners about their passion for the printed word and their experiences in the literary world. ### Resources [List of Independent Bookstores in the Boston Area](https://www.thebostoncalendar.com/events/13-independent-bookstores-around-boston) [Other fabulous bookstores to try](https://newenglandbooks.org/page/NEIBAmap) [And two new bookstores coming up in 2023](https://www.boston.com/news/business/2023/01/09/bostons-bookstore-boom-continues-in-2023-with-two-more-new-shops/?s_campaign=Email:ThingsToDo) [Direct link to Frugal Bookstore](https://frugalbookstore.net/) [Direct Link to All She Wrote Books](https://www.allshewrotebooks.com/) [Direct link to Harvard Bookstore](https://www.harvard.com) [Trailer to a new documentary “The Booksellers”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ymcRRt3Ix04&list=PLr2L6TB8fh8F6V1sZ4spOilYyibWf-NCu&index=5)

Revolutionary Spaces cover the event that became known as “The Boston Tea Party.” Kicking off the 250th anniversary year of this iconic moment in history, this virtual panel provides a nuanced basis for which to understand the The Boston Tea Party. Moderated by Revolutionary Spaces President & CEO Nat Sheidley, acclaimed historians explore how the events preceding the Boston Tea Party led to this historic occasion. We then move, moment by moment, through the meeting and the destruction of the tea, providing commentary and insight. We also discuss the aftermath of December 16, 1773 and its legacy. This program is made possible through the generous support of the Lowell Institute.

The relationship between atmosphere and oceans is a major factor in the dynamics of Earth’s climate. One of the most important regions for this interaction is the Bay of Bengal. Dr. Mahadevan, a leading researcher on this area, emphasizes that the Bay of Bengal impacts more of humanity than any other ocean area in the world. She explains how ocean-atmosphere dynamics create the monsoons that deliver freshwater to more than a third of the human population on this planet, and how, in turn, the freshwater deposited by the monsoons impacts the ocean’s structure and circulation