Past Events

WorldBoston’s annual State of the State Department is an opportunity to consider the U.S. State Department and American diplomacy within the context of U.S. national interests. This year’s program focuses on Public Diplomacy, and its relevance in a time of global challenges to democracy. For this discussion of Public Diplomacy, we are delighted to feature Stacy White, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Professional and Cultural Exchanges at the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, and Farah Pandith, Fellow of the Future of Diplomacy Project at Harvard University’s Belfer Center, former first Special Representative to Muslim Communities at the U.S. Department of State; and bestselling author of How We Win: How Cutting Edge Entrepreneurs, Political Visionaries, Enlightened Business Leaders, and Social Media Mavens Can Defeat the Extremist Threat.

For this Pulitzer and National Book Award-winning historian, also a proud Texas native and descendant of Texas slaves, the story of Juneteenth has special resonance. "On Juneteenth" presents the saga of a frontier defined as much by the slave plantation owner as the mythic cowboy, rancher, or oilman. Celebrated for her research and revelations in her prize-winning book "The Hemingses of Monticello", Annette Gordon-Reed now tells a tale closer to home. The Texas native combines her own scholarship with a personal and intimate reflection of an overlooked holiday that has suddenly taken on new significance. In "On Juneteenth" she writes, “it is staggering that there is no date commemorating the end of slavery in the United States.” Yet Texas, the last state to free its slaves, has long acknowledged the date of June 19, 1865, when US Major General Gordon Granger proclaimed from his Galveston headquarters that slavery was no longer the law of the land. Don’t miss Gordon-Reed’s discussion with Lisa Baldez about her research process, her childhood in Texas, and the circuitous path to national recognition of the Juneteenth holiday. Annette Gordon-Reed is the Carl M. Loeb University Professor at Harvard University. Author of the Pulitzer Prize–winning "The Hemingses of Monticello: An American Family", she lives in New York and in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Lisa Baldez is Professor of Government at Dartmouth College. Her research and published works examine the prospects for finding common ground between left-wing and right-wing women in the U.S. and around the world. This event is presented in the American Inspiration Author Series in partnership with the Boston Public Library, the State Library of Massachusetts, and GBH Forum Network.

The issue of migration to the United States from Latin America has overshadowed the war on drugs, which has been underway for decades with little signs of progress. What are the roots and the bureaucratic logic behind today's dominant drug policies in Latin America? Is it time to reconsider punitive drug policies that disrupt supply chains and punish drug possession? Join WorldBoston at the Boston Public Library for the latest installment in the Great Decisions series, focusing on "Drug Policy in Latin America" and featuring Dr. Evan Ellis Research Professor of Latin American Studies at the U.S. Army War College Strategic Studies Institute.

In this evening of conversation, Karen Brooks Hopkins, president emerita, Brooklyn Academy of Music will discuss her 36 years at the world-famous cultural institution. A page-turning look behind the scenes of America’s oldest performing arts center, BAM … and Then It Hit Me is filled with stories and photographs of artists and icons—Princess Diana, Ingmar Bergman, Chuck Davis, David Byrne, LL Cool J, among others—along with hands-on practical advice on fundraising and leadership. The book is a paean to the glory of the arts and the evolution of Brooklyn: in Karen’s words, “the coolest neighborhood on the planet.” Through personal stories and raw reflections, tales of glamour and of grit, Karen looks back upon her career’s twists of fate, the total failures, and great triumphs along the way. Hopkins’s view of arts as a critical driver for the post-pandemic economy and her emphasis on diverse partnerships could be a blueprint for Boston and beyond. This evening’s conversation is moderated by Myriam Cyr, artistic director, Puntuate4 with a special introduction by Kelvin Dinkins, Jr., executive director, American Repertory Theater, (A.R.T.), Harvard University.

New York Times Bestselling Author and Princeton professor Dr. Glaude in conversation with Boston Public Library President David Leonard will confront our nation’s history, shedding new light on the complexities of race and democracy. One of the nation’s most prominent scholars, Dr. Eddie Glaude, Jr. is an author, political commentator, public intellectual and passionate educator who examines the complex dynamics of the American experience. His writings, including Democracy in Black: How Race Still Enslaves the American Soul, In a Shade of Blue: Pragmatism and the Politics of Black America, and his most recent, the New York Times bestseller, Begin Again: James Baldwin’s America and Its Urgent Lessons for our Own, takes a wide look at Black communities, the difficulties of race in the United States and the challenges we face as a democracy. In his writing and speaking, Glaude is an American critic in the tradition of James Baldwin and Ralph Waldo Emerson, confronting history and bringing our nation’s complexities, vulnerabilities and hope into full view. Hope that is, in one of his favorite quotes from W.E.B. Du Bois, "not hopeless, but a bit unhopeful."

The Food and Drug Agency (FDA) was established in 1938 to ensure the quality of foods and medications. At the time, many medications and processed foods contained impurities and toxins that were threatening public health. When the FDA took charge of testing and guaranteeing the safety of products it represented the public interest and was funded by the taxpayer, not the pharmaceutical and food companies. That situation began to change in the 1980s when a special arrangement was initiated in which pharmaceutical companies paid fees to the FDA that were meant to expedite the testing and approval of new medications. The public is largely unaware of this partnership between the regulator (FDA) and the regulated (pharma industries). Dr. Kesselheim explains the background and the concerns about this arrangement. Photo credit: Science for the Public

Norsemen/Viking seafarers navigated unpredictable waters to create colonies in remote lands. Dr. Bolender explains how archaeologists locate and reconstruct the far-flung settlements in Greenland, Iceland and elsewhere. The ancient ruins suggest how the Norsemen/Vikings adapted to new territories and transformed the environment in ways still felt today. Dr Bolender discusses the known settlements and also the question of Viking settlements in North America. Dr. Bolender appeared in the BBC/PBS Nova documentary, Vikings Unearthed.

Pulitzer prize-winning historian, David Hackett Fischer’s latest book AFRICAN FOUNDERS: How Enslaved People Expanded American Ideals draws on decades of research, some of it conducted in West Africa. Fischer shows that African and African Americans were agents of pluralism that drove the development of early America. He shines a light on the little-known history of how enslaved Africans and their descendants created new regional cultures and enlarged American ideas of freedom. Thus, slaves actually helped shape the early American republic; Fischer’s work will transform our understanding of the influential role slaves played in America’s origins ranging from their impact on music to linguistics, from farming techniques to ethical principles. David Hackett Fischer is a University Professor and Warren Professor of History emeritus at Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts. He is the author of numerous books, including the 2005 Pulitzer Prize winner Washington’s Crossing and Champlain’s Dream. In 2015, he received the Pritzker Literature Award for Lifetime Achievement in Military Writing. He wil be in conversation with Johanna Li, Associate Editor at Simon and Schuster.

What can hold more than 500 species, sequester more than 500 lbs. CO2/year, be 10F cooler than its surroundings, soak up lots of rainwater,and be made by and for children in a space no bigger than a tennis court? A "mini-forest" planted using the Miyawaki Method, of course! Biodiversity for a Livable Climate hosts Miyawaki-Method advocates Hannah Lewis (Bio4Climate Compendium editor) and Daan Bleichrodt (The Netherlands' Tiny Forest initiative leader), as they talk about mini-/tiny-forests and their role in climate resilience, urban beautification, and connecting all of us to nature. Dave Morimoto, Professor of Biology and Chair of Natural Science and Mathematics in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Lesley University will moderate the discussion. Hannah’s new book, “Mini-Forest Revolution” will be published by Chelsea Green on June 9, 2022. ### Resources [Article from The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/jun/13/fast-growing-mini-forests-spring-up-in-europe-to-aid-climate) [Daan Bleichrodt and Global Earth Repair Foundation](https://globalearthrepairfoundation.org/daan-bleichrodt/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=daan-bleichrodt) [Tiny Forests - Netherlands](https://www.ivn.nl/tinyforest/tiny-forest-worldwide/countries/the-netherlands) [Compendium of Scientific and Practical Findings Supporting Eco-Restoration to Address Global Warming.](https://bio4climate.org/compendium/) [The mini forest in Danehy Park - North Cambridge](https://bio4climate.org/miyawaki-forest/)

Accessibility is central to transportation. For people with disabilities and for our aging population, access is a deal-maker. While the Americans with Disability Act has been the law for decades, the MBTA and other transit agencies are making slow progress towards providing full accessibility. How is the MBTA prioritizing accessibility improvements, and what are the partnerships that are necessary to success? In addition, the advent of e-bikes have made cycling more accessible and convenient for many more people than conventional bikes. What is needed for e-bikes to realize their potential and to encourage widespread adoption. The panel for Next Stop: Mobility for all, moderated by GBH News Reporter, Bob Seay, includes Laura Brelsford, MBTA Assistant General Manager for System Wide Accessibility, Reggie Ramos, Director of Inclusive Public Transit at the Institute for Human Centered Design, and Sarah Dylan Breuer, Co-host of Bike Talk, KPFK radio. ### Resources [Accessibility at the MBTA](https://www.mbta.com/accessibility) [History of Accessibility at the T](https://www.mbta.com/accessibility/history) [Current Accessibility Initiatives](https://cdn.mbta.com/sites/default/files/2021-12/2021-12-03-swa-initiatives.pdf) [How to Get Involved](https://www.mbta.com/accessibility/get-involved) [Public Meeting on Status of Settlement Agreement](https://www.mbta.com/events/2022-06-08/public-meeting-accessibility-and-daniels-finegold-v-mbta-settlement-update) [An Act to Reduce Traffic Fatalities](https://malegislature.gov/Bills/192/S2273) [MBTA Bus Network Redesign](https://www.mbta.com/projects/bus-network-redesign)