Past Events

The MBTA is one of the largest and oldest public transportation systems of the United States. Safety has been a concern in recent years. In August, the Federal Transit Administration released a 90-page report that unveils the dire conditions of MBTA operations, and the extent of needed repairs. Meanwhile, the Orange Line was recently shut down for 30 days, along with sections of the Green Line, and more shutdowns can be expected in the months and years ahead. What’s broken? Who is responsible? What are the short-, medium-, and long-term solutions? Join a conversation moderated by GBH Transportation reporter Bob Seay and Josh Ostroff, Transportation for Massachusetts Interim Director, with Monica Tibbits-Nutt, Executive Director of the 128 Business Council; Collique Williams, Organizer at Community Labor United;Transportation Committee Co-chair Senator Brendan Crighton; and Brian Kane, Executive Director of the MBTA Advisory Board. This program is presented in collaboration with the Transportation for Massachusetts coalition (T4MA).

The launch of Sputnik 1 in October 1957 marked the beginning of the space era and of the space race between the United States and the Soviet Union. In the 21st century, there are many more participants in space, including countries such as India and China, and commercial companies such as SpaceX. How will the United States fare in a crowded outer space? Join us for a discussion of this complex topic with Lori Garver, former Deputy Administrator of NASA.

On July 4, 1779, French forces captured the British Caribbean colony of Grenada. They would occupy that island, as well as the neighboring islands of St. Vincent and Dominica, until the 1783 Treaty of Paris. This talk explores what the American Revolution meant to British colonial subjects in these lesser-studied parts of the Americas. Indigenous, enslaved, and free people seized the opportunity to ally with Great Britain’s chief rival, France, and many used this moment of disruption to seek freedom, sovereignty, or autonomy.

One of the most abundant sources of renewable energy is the heat deep in the earth. This geothermal energy could provide clean heat and energy to whole cities, and in some parts of the world, such as Iceland, it does. But accessing this resource can be difficult. Dr. Woskov is developing a way to convert coal and gas electric power plants by drilling deep geothermal wells to replace the fossil fuels. He discusses the abundance of geothermal energy, the challenges of accessing it, and the geothermal project using a microwave-emitting mechanism called a gyrotron.

Taking Indigenous sovereignty seriously can help dismantle the structural racism encountered by other people of color in the United States. Natsu Taylor Saito's book, _Settler Colonialism, Race, and the Law: Why Structural Racism Persists,_ provides a timely analysis of structural racism at the intersection of law and colonialism. Noting the grim racial realities still confronting communities of color, and how they have not been alleviated by constitutional guarantees of equal protection, this book suggests that settler colonial theory provides a more coherent understanding of what causes and what can help remediate racial disparities. By providing a functional analysis that links disparate forms of oppression, this book makes the case for the oft-cited proposition that racial justice is indivisible, focusing particularly on the importance of acknowledging and contesting the continued colonization of Indigenous peoples and lands. ([Book review on Perlego](https://www.perlego.com/book/1364570/settler-colonialism-race-and-the-law-why-structural-racism-persists-pdf?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&campaignid=15825112969&adgroupid=132780871355&gclid=CjwKCAjw7eSZBhB8EiwA60kCW0AkGCT0O6l1i5HilKV1s8cLAXB0Tk20XaCYvSIRbVyrLPK_c7BYnRoCL5IQAvD_BwE) ) Cosponsored by the [Boston College Center for Human Rights and International Justice.

Historically one of the groups of voters who do not turn out are young people. This holds true across partisan, regional, religious and other differences. Our first discussion examines the reasons why there is low voter turnout and considers other forms of participation. How do Millenials and Gen Z’ers see their civic role in their communities? How are they reimagining and reshaping what it means to be involved and engaged? We take a deep dive to examine youth engagement in public affairs. Join the conversation with Milos Gringlas, Associatem Generation Citizen, Nancy Thomas, Director of the Institute for Democracy & Higher Education (IDHE) at Tufts University’s Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life, Mia Payne, Peer Facilitator at YVote and Syeeda Rahman, Suffolk University Political Science Student. The conversation will be moderated by Katie Lannan, GBH News State House reporter.

Art provides a powerful expression for resistance both in word and image, and Peter Sacks uses both to great effect in his latest works. Sacks, an expatriate of South Africa is currently presenting his first solo museum exhibition at the Rose Art Museum at Brandeis University. “RESISTANCE” is a collection of 88 portraits of individuals who have resisted political, racial or cultural oppression over the past two centuries ranging from Frederick Douglass, Rachel Carson and Nelson Mandela to Emmeline Pankhurst, Sitting Bull and Volodymyr Zelensky. Sacks, who began as a poet and still teaches at Harvard University produced all the portraits in the past two years, a prolific output for someone who did not pick up a paintbrush until he was 48 years of age. Drawing from his anti-apartheid activism and multicultural experiences, Sacks creates an inspiring cast of writers, artists, philosophers and activists from around the world, who all resisted oppression in various ways. Each portrait consists of a face embedded in a tactile composition of fabric, paint, personal items and text. The exhibit is immersive; alongside the visuals, there is an audio collage of voices of numerous contemporary literary, social, political and cultural figures. “Many of these figures have inspired me over a lifetime, in ways at once intimate and public. Many of the portrayed individuals became each other’s powerful guides and sources of courage. I hope they will do the same for viewers and conjure a community among them.” Peter Sacks: Resistance pays tribute to generations of resisters using the power of art to transmit their legacies to future generations. This is a collaboration with the Rose Art Museum at Brandeis Museum. The Rose Art Museum exhibit runs until December 30, 2022 and admission is free.

The JWST, launched far from Earth in December 2021, is the most sophisticated telescope ever created. It will reveal stars, galaxies and other objects in the very early universe. Scientists are still amazed that such a complex project –25 years in the making– succeeded. Astronomer Silas Laycock describes the technical achievement and the incredible images the telescope has produced so far. The JWST reveals features of the early universe, the birth and death of galaxies, planets that may support life, and much more.

Revolutionary Spaces, GBH News, GBH Forum Network, and Suffolk University are coming together to present an exciting panel discussion on what it takes to motivate young people to vote in contemporary America. Moderated by GBH News correspondent Peter Kadzis, this special afternoon program will feature a subject matter policy expert, a voting rights advocate, a political campaign strategist, and a minority youth activist group representative. With audience participation, the panel will take on issues relating to political persuasion, mobilization, and the power of generational change. Among the enduring questions to be addressed are: how is my voice heard; who speaks for me; and what is my recourse if I am silenced or marginalized. The program will thus aim to explore the who, what, where, when, how, and why of voting among young people in America today.

As part of the U.S. pivot to Asia, the United States has been in dialogue with Japan, Australia, and India in an effort to contain China. This strengthening of ties, known as the Quad alliance, comes at a time when the relationship between the U.S. and China is becoming increasingly more fraught, particularly in light of recent events, such as joint naval exercises in the South Pacific by Quad countries, and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's recent trip to Taiwan. Given these complex factors, how effective will the actions of the Quad alliance be in countering China? Join us for this installation of our Great Decisions series, when we host Kevin Rudd, President of the Asia Society and former Primer Minister of Australia.