Unraveling the Violence of Jim Crow South with Tananarive Due

The elements of a scary story might be exotic, super-natural, or even mundane. Tananarive Due weaves all of those things together in an ethereal world of her creation to explore the violence of the Jim Crow South.    Due is an award-winning author who teaches Black Horror and Afrofuturism at the U…

Navigating the Future: The Global Landscape in 2076 with Thomas Barnett

Globalization is often portrayed as the bogeyman in American politics. Thomas Barnett credits it with making the world better, more peaceful, and even more equitable. In the future, he argues, it will continue to drive even more profound shifts in the way the world operates—with real challenges for…

Trauma and the Science of Resilience with Jonathan DePierro

Everyone faces challenges in life, but when those challenges are born of trauma, the challenge to persevere becomes more daunting. Dr. Jonathan DePierro discusses the science of resilience and how we can all thrive in the wake of adversity.    DePierro is the Associate Director of the Center for S…

Navigating Identity and Race Childhood to Adulthood with Nyani Nkrumah

The transition from childhood to adulthood ushers in a wide variety of difficult questions like who actually loves us, and why. Nyani Nkrumah explores those coming-of-age themes, as well as issues of race, identity, trauma, and who is responsible for the person we actually are.    Nkrumah was born…

American History Through the Perspective of its Indigenous Inhabitants with Ned Blackhawk

For too long, the history we’ve considered “America’s” has really just been the history of European conquest. Ned Blackhawk argues that there is no American history without its first, indigenous inhabitants.  Blackhawk is a Professor of History and American Studies at Yale. He is the author of “Vi…

Creating Change for Girls Across the World with Dale Hanson Bourke

All over the world, girls face challenges—and outcomes—far worse than boys—a fact borne out by research on different continents and in different societies. But Dale Bourke says that the challenges facing girls shouldn’t overwhelm us; they should inspire us.     Bourke is an award-winning writer an…

Discovering Longevity With Bill Kole: How Does Living Longer Impact Society?

One constant human wish is for the longevity of the people we love.  Bill Kole explores the coming era of “super-aging,” where more and more of us will live more than a century, with dramatic consequences for retirement, finances, relationships, and even the politics of the next century.    Kole, …

Brad Sears on Current Issues Facing the LGBTQ Community

In 2015, the Supreme Court ruled that love is love is love and marriage equality became recognized in all 50 states.  Brad Sears warns, however of legislative efforts across the country to roll back LGBTQ rights. Sears is the Founding Executive Director and Rand Schrader Distinguished Scholar of L…

How The Chains Of Poverty Prevent People From Being Free: Putting An End To Poverty In America With Matthew Desmond

The United States is both the richest country on Earth, and yet beset with a crushing poverty that saddles too many Americans. Dr. Matthew Desmond is a Pulitzer Prize-winning author and sociologist who says the reality of American poverty is sustained by those who benefit from it.    ​​Matthew Des…

Experimental Psychology: Exploring Public Perception of Morality and More with Adam Mastroianni

Every generation seems to lament the decline in public virtues, morality, and decency. But Adam Mastroianni argues that those perceptions are generally not rooted in reality.     Mastroianni is an experimental psychologist and author of the science blog, “Experimental History.” He earned his docto…