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Free online lectures: Explore a world of ideas

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Ford Hall Forum

The Ford Hall Forum is the nation's oldest continuously operating free public lecture series. Its mission is to foster an informed and effective citizenry and to promote freedom of speech through the public presentation of lectures, debates, and discussions. Forum events illuminate the key issues facing our society by bringing to its podium knowledgeable and thought-provoking speakers. These speakers are presented in person, for free, and in settings, which facilitate frank and open debate.

http://www.fordhallforum.org/

  • Each of the last presidential elections has presented its own unique challenges, from historically unpopular candidates to voting during a global pandemic. 2024 is shaping up to be no different. Join David Paleologos, Director of the Suffolk University Political Research Center and one of the United States’ most respected and trustworthy pollsters, to discuss our next unprecedented presidential election. Get the inside scoop on the swing states, critical voting blocs, and crucial issues that could make or break the 2024 elections. The afternoon's moderator is Latoyia Edwards, Emmy award-winning anchor on NBC10 Boston and NECN.
    Partner:
    Ford Hall Forum
  • Join Ford Hall Forum for a spirited conversation with Stevie Walker-Webb, acclaimed Tony-nominated director of Ain't No Mo', actor, activist and director of the play Fat Ham, Dawn Simmons, Associate Director of Fat Ham, and co-producing director of Front Porch Arts Collective, and Regine Vital, theatre artist, educator, and Actors' Shakespeare Project Associate Producer.
    The evening's moderator is Pascale Florestal, Director of Education, Front Porch Arts Collective, and Visiting Guest Artist Professor in Practice at Suffolk University.

    The panel discusses the evolution of Shakespeare's work and how race and other intersections influence these stories and reflect of the world today. They explore fresh new perspectives and distinct voices offered in two upcoming Boston theater productions, Fat Ham and The Taming of the Shrew.

    Fat Ham, a Huntington Theatre production in partnership with front Porch Arts Collective and Alliance Theater, is a Pulitzer Prize-winning new play that is a smart and sharp reinvention of Shakespeare's masterpiece which took Broadway by storm this spring.

    In The Taming of the Shrew, premiering at the Modern Theatre this fall, Artistic Director Christopher Edwards and the talented cast turn this beloved play inside out, flip it upside down and stretch it to the limits in a way that only Actors' Shakespeare Project can - to find what truly sits at the heart of this hilarious and contentious comedy.
    Partner:
    Ford Hall Forum
  • Join for a presentation and a discussion with acclaimed Palestinian author and screenwriter, Sayed Kashua.

    Prominent Palestinian author, screenwriter, and newspaper columnist, Sayed Kashua, once ‘The other” in his homeland of Israel now finds himself “the other”in his new home in the Midwest. Through humor and satire, Kashua shares the challenges and struggles of living in a foreign land and the difficulties of writing about home from a distance.

    Partner:
    Ford Hall Forum
  • Schuyler Bailar (he/him) was the first openly transgender D1 NCAA athlete. Since graduating from Harvard University in 2019, Schuyler has become an internationally celebrated inspirational speaker, author, and advocate for trans inclusion, radical body acceptance, and mental health awareness. He is also recognized as a top social media LGBTQ+ educator and advocate. In his talk, Schuyler shares his personal journey and discusses some of the recent legislation affecting trans rights. He also speaks about the importance of trans inclusion and strategies for taking action. Following a moderated conversation, Schuyler engages with members of the Suffolk community in an audience Q&A moderated by Bobbi Van Gilder, PhD, assistant professor, Communication, Journalism, & Media Department, Suffolk University. Photocredit : Envato
    Partner:
    Ford Hall Forum
  • According to philosopher Harry Frankfurt, to bullshit is to speak with indifference to the truth. Bullshitters speak carelessly: they ignore the demand that typical speech be both accurate and sincere. Bullshit is produced without concern for the truth at all, and is thus perhaps a “greater enemy of the truth than lies.” Finding a media ecosystem saturated with bullshit, many people seem to respond with a confusing mix of distrust and skepticism on the one hand, and gullibility and credulity on the other. Caught in the middle of this predicament are journalists, researchers, communication specialists, social media platform workers, and other practitioners whose daily activity involves the careful work of investigating, judging, communicating, and synthesizing information with the public in mind. What sorts of dilemmas does this work involve? What sorts of trade offs might there be? How does one speak the truth to a suspicious public? What impact does this have on the health of our democracy? Join us as our expert panel will help us understand more about the choices made in a media environment where trust and attention are both in short supply. This talk is presented in partnership with Ford Hall Forum, The Washington Center, and Suffolk Political Science and Legal Studies Department and Suffolk University Department of Philosophy and the Program in Politics, Philosophy, and Economics. ### Resources [nfo about the book “ Calling Bullshit”](https://www.callingbullshit.org/) [The story Phillip is referring to ](https://www.wgbh.org/news/local-news/2022/02/02/neo-nazis-target-anti-racist-doctors-at-brigham-and-womens-hospital-calling-them-anti-white) [About the Strategic communication unit at the European Commission](https://www.eeas.europa.eu/taxonomy/term/400164_en) [About online disinformation](https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/policies/online-disinformation) [Fighting Disinformation online](https://www.rand.org/research/projects/truth-decay/fighting-disinformation.html) [Climate Misinformation on Social Media Is Undermining Climate Action](https://www.nrdc.org/stories/climate-misinformation-social-media-undermining-climate-action) [Pew Research on misinformation](https://www.pewresearch.org/topic/news-habits-media/media-society/misinformation/) [Cognitive Biaises](https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/biases-make-people-vulnerable-to-misinformation-spread-by-social-media/)
    Partner:
    Ford Hall Forum
  • Gun violence has become as ubiquitous as it is polarizing in the United States. An almost daily drumbeat of mass shooting events have made some people numb, others fearful that it could happen to them, and produced a generation for whom active shooter drills in schools are routine. However, as horrific as these events are, they represent only a fraction of the annual mortality rate. Suicide represents the largest share of gun-related deaths per year, followed by homicide, accidents, and domestic violence. Despite this, it seems that the only thing we can agree about is that the overall toll is too high. What, if anything, can be done? Join us as we move beyond the political battle over 2nd Amendment rights vs. public safety and take a deep dive into policy: what works, what doesn’t, and what is feasible to do in this highly charged environment with David Hemenway, Ph.D., Professor of Health Policy and Director of the Harvard Injury Control Research Center, Greg Jackson, Executive Director of the Community Justice Action Fund and Kevin Drakulich, Associate Director and Associate Professor of Criminology and Criminal Justice at Northeastern University. This series is produced in partnership with Ford Hall Forum, Suffolk University Political Science and Legal Studies Department and The Washington Center.
    Partner:
    Ford Hall Forum
  • What are the most important takeaways from the 2022 midterm election and how are these likely to impact an already dysfunctional congress? What role did younger voters play in these races and what can be done to enhance their participation and engagement in policy and politics? Matt Bennett – Executive Vice President for Public Affairs, Third Way and Samuel Abrams – Nonresident Senior Fellow, American Enterprise Institute and Professor, Sarah Lawrence College, provide their perspectives on these wide ranging topics in a discussion moderated by Dr. Christina Kulich, Professor of Political Science at Suffolk University. The Washington Center hosts the Inside Washington Seminar each year, which brings students and faculty from all over the country together to examine the most pressing issues facing the nation, engage with elected officials, practitioners, thought leaders and one another. This episode is part of a series done in partnership with GBH Forum Network, The Washington Center, Ford Hall Forum, Suffolk University Political Science and Legal Studies Department.
    Partner:
    Ford Hall Forum
  • As the inaugural speaker, Kathy Boockvar, President, Athena Strategies, LLC and Former Secretary of State, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania shares her own story of a career devoted to election administration and security. She explains the ways in which “stealing an election” is not possible and makes a compelling case for the vital importance of strengthening civic engagement to the health of democracy. The Washington Center hosts the Inside Washington Seminar each year, which brings students and faculty from all over the country together to examine the most pressing issues facing the nation, engage with elected officials, practitioners, thought leaders and one another. This episode is part of a series done in partnership with The Washington Center, Ford Hall Forum, Suffolk University Political Science and Legal Studies Department.
    Partner:
    Ford Hall Forum
  • The Washington Center hosts the Inside Washington Seminar each year, which brings together students and faculty from all over the country to examine the most pressing issues facing the nation, engage with elected officials, practitioners, thought leaders and one another. This year, Inside Washington is opening its doors to a broader audience by filming and publishing some of the talks from the opening day’s plenary session. Listen to the introductory remarks by Dr. Scott McLean of Quinnipiac University, as he frames the debate over the health of American democracy and what the outcome of the 2022 midterms told us about the state of our institutions. This episode is part of a series done in partnership with GBH Forum Network, The Washington Center, Ford Hall Forum, Suffolk University Political Science and Legal Studies Department.
    Partner:
    Ford Hall Forum
  • With the 2022 midterms in the rearview mirror, we look at the results to help us understand what is to come. What role did the threat to the stability of American democracy play for young voters? What about the urban/rural divide? And issues like abortion? The anticipated “red wave” didn’t materialize and President Biden’s low approval ratings were de-linked from voting intensity; especially among young voters, who appeared motivated by policy questions. Incumbent senators, governors and House members overwhelmingly won re-election. Biden beat the “midterm curse” and in key races, the youth vote was critical. What are top things to watch for in 2023? Join us as we hear from a political strategist, a turnout expert, young people, activists and officeholders, from across the political and geographic spectrum to examine what happened, why it matters, and what the implications may be.
    Partner:
    Ford Hall Forum