Past Events

The trial and murder conviction of Minneapolis Police officer Derek Chauvin sparked new national conversations about violent policing and racial injustice. How should policy makers, police, and journalists respond?  _The New Yorker_ staff writer Jelani Cobb and BBC correspondent Tara McKelvey  — who both covered the trial from Minneapolis — will join _The Atlantic_ staff writer Adam Serwer to discuss how public discourse and press coverage have and have not changed since the trial. Harvard Kennedy School Institute of Politics executive director Setti Warren moderates the event. As part of the [GBH News](https://www.wgbh.org/news/) week-long look at the impact of the murder of George Floyd one year ago, GBH Forum Network is pleased to co-present this conversation, part of the Shorenstein Center’s Alumni Fellows Network speaker series, featuring former Shorenstein fellows discussing major topics in the news, and their current work.

Native American and Indigenous people model economic and social exchanges on reciprocity and relationships in all systems. Centering this and other Indigenous wisdom has led to significant and meaningful contributions to the advancement of conservation, protection, and environmental justice, especially in the lives of youth. Dawn Knickerbocker belongs to the Anishinaabe people, is a citizen of White Earth Nation/gaa waabaabiganikaag, and a member of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe from the Ottertail Pillager Band of Indians. Juan D. Martinez Pineda is a Senior Program Manager at the Aspen Institute Forum for Community Solutions and proud descendant of the Be'ena' Za' Zapotec people. Together they will explore how centering culture, reciprocity, and relationship can fulfill this country's promise to lift up all people. This talk is part of the Life Saves the Planet lecture series. More info: https://bio4climate.org/ ### RESOURCES Learn more about the land you are on and the peoples who have walked there: https://native-land.ca/ Learn more about The power of cultures, igniting futures with Fresh Tracks https://aspencommunitysolutions.org/f... Learn more about Native Americans in Philanthropy https://nativephilanthropy.org/

Whether it’s Dr. Seuss, J.K. Rowling, or Mr. Potato Head, allegations of cancel culture seem to dominate the recent headlines. Fueled by social media, cancel culture has earned a consistent spot in the news cycle this past year. Yet the exact meaning of this phenomenon and movement is still up for debate as society weighs the balance of free speech and accountability. Rachel Fish, Executive Director of the Foundation to Combat Anti-Semitism, moderates a discussion with Rabbi Irwin Kula, Co-President of Clal, The National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership; Andrew Rehfeld, President of Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion; and Cathy Young, Journalist and Author of "Growing up in Moscow: Memories of a Soviet Girlhood." _This event is part of the JCC Greater Boston's Hot Buttons, Cool Conversations acclaimed discussion series bringing together distinguished scholars, thought leaders and expert moderators for thought-provoking dialogue on issues of concern to the Jewish community and beyond. Produced in partnership with GBH Forum Network._

In a legal battle that mirrors that of the Little Rock Nine and Brown v. Board of Education, journalist Jo Napolitano tells the story of six brave refugee students in Pennsylvania who fought alongside the ACLU and Education Law Center to demand equal access to education. Napolitano delves into a landmark case in which the School District of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, was sued for refusing to admit older, non-English speaking children such as Khadidja Issa, a refugee fleeing the horrific violence in war-torn Sudan, sending them to a high-discipline alternative school instead. Her new book, The School I Deserve, brings to light this crucial and underreported case, which paved the way to equal access to education for countless immigrants and refugees to come. Napolitano is joined by GBH News K-12 education reporter Megan Woolhouse, whose breaking news and features coverage has focused on the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on school systems throughout Massachusetts.

Perhaps some people can’t wait to get back to the office, but 80 percent said they don’t want to or would prefer a hybrid schedule, according to a recent Harvard survey. Many more workers have no such attractive options. Together all of us must consider the future of work and where it happens. Will we return to pre-pandemic conditions, or are pandemic work/life changes here to stay? Some people miss having a separate workspace and live interaction with colleagues. What do you think? Join our discussion and tell us about your experiences over the past year – for better or worse. Nick Bloom, a professor of economics at Stanford University specializing in management practices and uncertainty, and Dr. Brad Harrington, Executive Director of the Boston College Center for Work & Family (BCCWF) discuss their research and the new balance between work, life and home.

On March 12, 2034, US Navy Commodore Sarah Hunt is on the bridge of her flagship, the guided missile destroyer USS John Paul Jones, conducting a routine freedom of navigation patrol in the South China Sea when her ship detects an unflagged trawler in clear distress, smoke billowing from its bridge. On that same day, US Marine aviator Major Chris “Wedge” Mitchell is flying an F35E Lightning over the Strait of Hormuz, testing a new stealth technology as he flirts with Iranian airspace. By the end of that day, Wedge will be an Iranian prisoner, and Sarah Hunt’s destroyer will lie at the bottom of the sea, sunk by the Chinese Navy. Iran and China have clearly coordinated their moves, which involve the use of powerful new forms of cyber weaponry that render US ships and planes defenseless. In a single day, America’s faith in its military’s strategic pre-eminence is in tatters. A new, terrifying era is at hand. Oscar Wilde once wrote, “To expect the unexpected shows a thoroughly modern intellect.” Disasters like Pearl Harbor, 9/11 and even the COVID pandemic, one could say, were failures of imagination – a failure to imagine what could happen and be prepared for it. Today we can’t dismiss any situation as out of the question, as we witness foreign interference in elections, a resurgence of xenophobia, and ransomware attacks on infrastructure. "2034: A Novel of the Next World War" looks at the plausible and dire consequences of what could happen. Co-authors Elliot Ackerman and Admiral James Stavridis ask the reader evocative questions about how America may conduct war in the future. The book compels us to consider what warning signs we should notice, and where we might find security threats. Imagination is a national security imperative. As such, Ackerman and Stavridis have fired a warning shot for what could happen if current and future administrations do not anticipate future challenges. Learn more about WorldBoston's Chat & Chowder events: https://www.worldboston.org/chat-chowder

Epidemiologist, journalist, and filmmaker Dr. Celine Gounder joined BPL President David Leonard to examine the far-reaching impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In addition to practicing as an infectious diseases specialist, Dr. Gounder is the founder of Just Human Productions, a non-profit multimedia organization, and the host and producer of two podcasts: American Diagnosis is a podcast on health and social justice, and Epidemic is a podcast about the SARS-CoV-2 / COVID-19 / coronavirus epidemic, which she co-hosts with former U.S. Ebola czar Ron Klain.

This talk is part of both the Lowell Lecture Series, sponsored by the Lowell Institute, and part of the Repairing America Initiative, the Boston Public Library's pledge to focus its 2021 programming and services on bridging the gaps that divide America. By prioritizing economic recovery, civic engagement, COVID-19 recovery, racial equity, workforce development, and youth engagement, the BPL is working to help Americans rise above the challenges they face.

RESOURCES
Medical Racism Past and Present
The Science of Vaccines Illustrated Guide

Op-Eds
A Dismal Spring Awaits Unless We Slow the Spread of Covid-19 https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/17/opinion/covid-19-precautions.html

Doctors, nurses and scientists -- not politicians -- should be leading coronavirus briefings https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/16/opinions/doctors-nurses-and-scientists-should-lead-coronavirus-briefings-gounder/index.html

A Simple Rule of Thumb for Knowing When the Pandemic Is Over https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2021/02/how-know-when-pandemic-over/618122/

CDC Covid Data Tracker Map: community transmission at the county level https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#county-view

American Ancestors NEHGS and Boston Public Library in partnership with the Japan Society of Boston and GBH Forum Network host celebrated author Daniel James Brown to discuss his book “Facing the Mountain: A True Story of Japanese American Heroes in World War II.” Known for his #1 New York Times bestselling book “The Boys in the Boat,” Brown now looks at the World War II saga of patriotism, contributions and sacrifices of Japanese immigrants and their American-born children. Brown tells a the story of one courageous Japanese-American Army unit that overcame brutal odds in Europe while their families were incarcerated back home; and the tale of a young man who refused to surrender his constitutional rights, even if it meant imprisonment. Following a short, illustrated presentation by the author, Roland Nozomu Kelts joins him in conversation.

Concern about environment and climate change has increased interest in the fundamental importance of soil. Dr. DeAngelis describes the microbes that preserve soil health, the complex interdependence of these microbial ecosystems and the larger environment, and how healthy soil contributes to healthy climate.

During the 2020 United States Presidential election, the merits and drawbacks of globalization were constantly being debated by the presidential candidates. The passing of the Brexit vote and then-U.S. President Donald Trump’s America First doctrine gave new prominence to protectionist policies, challenging globalization. What is globalization and how will it be affected by protectionist trade policies? How will the United States and the world be affected by such policies? Is globalization really at an end, or in need of a refresh?