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 […]