What if we could redefine leadership? What if kindness came first? The Right Honourable Dame Jacinda Ardern was elected the 40th Prime Minister of New Zealand at the age of thirty-seven, becoming the country’s youngest Prime Minister in more than 150 years. Ardern exemplifies a new kind of leadership — proving that leaders can be […]

Leslie Odom Jr. burst onto the scene in 2015, originating the role of Aaron Burr in the Broadway musical phenomenon Hamilton. Since then, he has performed for sold-out audiences, sang for the Obamas at the White House, and won a Tony Award for Best Leading Actor in a Musical. But before Hamilton, Odom put in […]

Alison Bechdel is known for her pioneering comic strips Dykes to Watch Out For and the modern classics Fun Home (as well as the Tony-Award winning musical adaptation), Are You My Mother?, and The Secret to Superhuman Strength. But her acclaim doesn’t stop there — her last name is synonymous with the “Bechdel Test,” a […]

Acclaimed author Ron Chernow, of Hamilton fame, is one of the most renowned voices in history and politics. Recipient of the 2015 National Humanities Medal, Chernow has dedicated his life to telling the stories of some of the most notable figures in history. Join us as Chernow discusses his newest work, Mark Twain, a nuanced […]

The #1 New York Times bestselling, National Book Award-winning author Dr. Ibram X. Kendi joins us to discuss his groundbreaking narrative biography of Malcom X for young readers. In Malcolm Lives!, Kendi expertly crafts a telling of Malcolm X’s life, providing context for both Malcolm’s choices — and those around him — not just painting […]

Jeffrey Seller is one of the most successful Broadway producers of our time — and the only one to have mounted two Pulitzer Prize-winning musicals: Hamilton and Rent. From his early days as an office assistant, to meeting Jonathan Larson and experiencing the triumph and tragedy of Rent, to working with Lin-Manuel Miranda on In […]

One of the most influential activists (and now astronauts) of her time, Amanda Nguyen is a force for resilience. The Nobel Peace Prize nominee and TIME’s 2022 Woman of the Year joins us to detail her healing journey and groundbreaking activism in the aftermath of her rape at Harvard. She discusses her memoir Saving Five, […]

As Michigan’s Secretary of State and chief election official, Secretary Jocelyn Benson has overseen several of the highest turnout, most secure elections in the state’s history. But her life changed in December 2020 when armed protesters descended onto her doorstep, threatening her family. Her only crime: certifying a fair and accurate Presidential election in which […]

Catherine Coleman Flowers, one of the leading environmental justice activists of our times, has dedicated her life to fighting for the most vulnerable communities who have been deprived of the basic civil right to a clean, safe, and sustainable environment. Drawing inspiration from her newest book, Holy Ground, Flowers illuminates the most pressing issues of […]

Pulitzer Prize-winning and #1 New York Times best-selling author Rick Atkinson joins us for a conversation about Fate of the Day, the second volume of his acclaimed Revolution trilogy. According to famed documentarian Ken Burns, with this volume, “the battles and struggles that created our country now have clarity and meaning." Timed to coincide with […]

The #1 New York Times bestselling author Fredrik Backman dives into his newest work — an unforgettably funny, deeply moving tale of four teenagers whose friendship creates a bond so powerful that it changes a complete stranger’s life twenty-five years later. Backman helps us see that happy endings don’t always take the form we expect […]

Actor, comedian, writer, and producer Ed Helms is perhaps best known for his roles as Andy Bernard on The Office and Stu Price in The Hangover film trilogy. His newest project is the book SNAFU, based on his hit podcast, which brings you an absurdly entertaining look at history’s greatest screwups. Spanning from the 1950’s […]

Philosopher and University of Chicago professor Agnes Callard brings us back to the days of Socrates, reviving his ideas for our time. While we call him the “father of Western philosophy,” what exactly are his philosophical views, and how can we use them to better our lives in the 21st century? In Open Socrates, Callard […]

Every year, hundreds of thousands of people arrive at the U.S.-Mexico border seeking safety and prosperity. Weaving together the stories of Central Americans whose lives have been devastated by chronic political conflict with those of American activists, government officials, and politicians, best-selling author and New Yorker writer Jonathan Blitzer illuminates the country’s immigration crisis. Join […]

Many see a crisis in American democracy. Dr. Timothy Snyder, acclaimed historian and best-selling author of such works as On Tyranny and On Freedom, argues that Americans are less free now than they were two decades ago. But he also offers a much needed light in this dark moment, showing us the lessons to heed, […]

Experts have warned that the U.S. is lagging behind other countries when it comes to our infrastructure – whether it be roads, railways, bridges, or public transit (and don’t get Chicagoans started on potholes). However, Deborah N. Archer, President of the ACLU and professor and associate dean at New York University School of Law, warns […]

Kenneth Roth led Human Rights Watch for over three decades. During his leadership, he conducted investigations in 100 countries to uncover abuses and pressured offending governments to stop them. Roth joins Chicago Humanities to share his ongoing fight to take on the biggest villains and toughest autocrats around the world and how he persuaded leaders […]

After years of refusing to build sufficient housing, the entire country has a national housing crisis. After years of slashing immigration, we don’t have enough workers. The list goes on. The twenty-first century so far has been full of growing unaffordability and shortage. And in the last few decades, our capacity to see problems has […]

We all feel it — the distraction, the loss of focus, the addictive focus on the wrong things for too long thanks to our phones, computers, tablets, and more. Chris Hayes, host of MSNBC’s show “All In” and “Why Is This Happening? The Chris Hayes Podcast,” argues attention has become a commodified resource extracted from […]

When Dylan Mulvaney came out as a woman online, she was a viral sensation almost overnight, emerging as a trailblazing voice on social media. Join Chicago Humanities as Mulvaney pulls back the curtain on her personal coming-out story and how it blossomed into a platform for advocacy and empowerment for trans people all over the […]

Two lost souls meet at a crossroads, in the dead of night, deep in the Mississippi of it all. They laugh, they flirt, they make sweet music. Together, they conjure a familiar sound from long ago, one of wondrous deals and dangerous aspirations. In this sultry world premiere inspired by the myth of musician Robert […]

Two lost souls meet at a crossroads, in the dead of night, deep in the Mississippi of it all. They laugh, they flirt, they make sweet music. Together, they conjure a familiar sound from long ago, one of wondrous deals and dangerous aspirations. In this sultry world premiere inspired by the myth of musician Robert […]

Legendary celebrity and rock-n-roll photographer, Lynn Goldsmith has captured the biggest stars with her skilled lens. She’s chronicled the careers of Bob Dylan, the Rolling Stones, Bruce Springsteen, Michael Jackson, and her longtime friend and collaborator, Patti Smith. A Chicago Humanities favorite, Patti Smith is one of America’s most acclaimed singer-songwriters and a beloved photographer […]

Hoop Dreams was famously called “the great American documentary” by Roger Ebert. It’s also, of course, a quintessentially Chicago film. Hoop Dreams turns 30 this year, its story of two young Chicagoans (Arthur Agee and William Gates) trying to become professional basketball players as resonant as ever. Arthur and William, along with director/producer Steve James […]

As part of our fall festival examination of movement, we explore the primal human expression of physical movement and the artistic and cultural foundations of dance with leading choreographer Kyle Abraham. With his company, A.I.M by Kyle Abraham, he creates a body of dance-based work that is galvanized by Black culture and history and features […]

Former fifth-ranking leader in the US House of Representatives, chair of the US Securities and Exchange Commission, and senior associate counsel to President George W. Bush, Christopher Cox leads a discussion on President Woodrow Wilson's profound and disturbing influence in the fights for women's voting rights and racial justice, accentuating the importance of historical awareness […]

Tegan and Sara are indie-pop royalty, twin sisters, and bestselling authors of a young adult graphic novel duology. Crush, the second book in this autobiographically-inspired series, explores the teenage world of crushes, crushing it, and being crushed by life — all wrapped in a queer lens. Join Chicago Humanities in conversation with Tegan and Sara […]

Join us as we experience poet and Yale professor Claudia Rankine and choreographer Shamel Pitts in conversation and performance. Rankine is not only the New York Times bestseller of Citizen: An American Lyric, but a MacArthur Fellow, playwright, and author of the newly released Dont Let Me Be Lonely. She brings her unique perspective on […]

Language is constantly changing. Linguist and veteran English professor Anne Curzan is here to help us decipher its “rules.” Written with lively humor and humanity, Curzan’s newest book Says Who? is a pragmatic and accessible key that reveals how our choices about language can be a powerful force for equity and personal expression. Join Chicago […]