Town Hall Seattle Civics Series
Society & Culture
About
The Civics series at Town Hall shines a light on the shifting issues, movements, and policies, that affect our society, both locally and globally. These events pose questions and ideas, big and small, that have the power to inform and impact our lives. Whether it be constitutional research from a scholar, a new take on history, or the birth of a movement, it's all about educating and empowering.
Episodes
- 408. Emily Galvin Almanza with Michele Storms: The Price of Mercy
Have you ever wondered what really goes on in our country's criminal courts? Many want to believe in the hallowed halls of justice, with ethical and equitable legal processes that pursue truth and enforce the law fairly. But one author arg…
- 407. Blue City Blues with Anne Applebaum: Resisting Authoritarianism Here and Abroad
Blue City Blues leads a conversation with Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and historian Anne Applebaum, as she addresses the escalating global threats to democratic institutions and explores pragmatic strategies to counter the rise of au…
- 406. Brian Soucek: The Opinionated University
Like many universities nationwide, the University of Washington is facing threats to federal funding, which they rely on for fundamental research and development. The erosion of federal support means universities like UW are facing decisio…
- 405. Speaking of Seattle: Who Tells Seattle's Story? Local Media in a Broken News Economy: Hosted by Erica C. Barnett with Florangela Davila, Hannah Murphy Winter, and Naomi Ishisaka
Seattle loves to think of itself as an informed, engaged, "I-read-the-footnotes" kind of city. But what happens when the institutions we rely on to tell our stories are shrinking, consolidating, or vanishing altogether? Join Marcus Harriso…
- 404. Evelyn Iritani with Frank Abe: Safe Passage: The Exchange of American and Japanese Civilians by Sea
Across the water from Seattle, you can visit the Bainbridge Island Japanese American Exclusion Memorial. It's a place to honor and learn from the past. Evelyn Iritani, a longtime Seattle resident and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, want…
- 403. We Hold These Truths: A Live Broadcast of the 1941 Bill of Rights Radio Special
Celebrate the 234th anniversary of the Bill of Rights and the historic December 15, 1941, radio broadcast of We Hold These Truths with a live performance and radio event at Town Hall Seattle. Known as the poet laureate of American radio, N…
- 402. Cynthia Miller-Idriss and Jen Barnes: Man Up: The New Misogyny
As political violence, mass shootings, and the actions of radical extremists continue to be a devastating presence in our news cycle, academics and experts are compelled to look for connections. What things do most mass shooters, terrorist…
- 401. Black Thoughts: An Evening With Martellus Bennett, Michael Bennett, and Jesse Hagopian
Three voices at the intersections of art, education, and social critique come together for an evening of readings and conversation. Jesse Hagopian will share from his forthcoming book Teach Truth: The Struggle for Antiracist Education, whi…
- 400. Clyde W. Ford: Who's Left Out of Black History
How much do you know about Black history? From African women's rebellions on slave ships to a former enslaved man whose account of the first Juneteenth differs from what we hear today, to Benjamin Banneker's life, to how Islam found its wa…
- 399. Indigenous Peoples' Day: Turning Adversaries into Tribal Allies to Save Salmon
Our region is facing tremendous setbacks for salmon populations and Northwest tribal treaty rights. Fish runs continue to fall short while Indigenous communities bear the brunt of climate change, political polarization, and existential thr…
- 398. Speaking of Seattle: After the Ballot
Just weeks after Seattle's November elections, Town Hall Seattle kicks off a timely, can't-miss series hosted by Marcus Harrison Green. The panel features political strategist Crystal Fincher, The Stranger's news editor Vivian McCall, and…
- 397. Advancing Climate Resilience with Connected Communities
Town Hall Seattle, Juneau Street Resilience Pod, and the City of Seattle's Office of Sustainability and Environment hosts an evening with climate justice leaders who are reimagining our climate future in Seattle and beyond; discussing how…
- 396. In the Spirit of Right and Respectful Relations: Conversations about Indigenous Ways of Knowing and Being in Nature
In relationship with Se'Si'Le , Braided River is celebrating the launch of their newest project, In the Spirit of Right and Respectful Relations: Conversations about Indigenous Ways of Knowing and Being in Nature . As told to Kurt Russo, w…
- 395. Nilanjana Dasgupta with Paula Boggs: How Small Changes Can Make a Big Impact
How can one person fight for social justice? Can everyday people actually make changes in systemic, structural inequality? Social psychologist and author of the book Change the Wallpaper , Nilanjana Dasgupta offers science-driven answers t…
- 394. Shannon Watts with Brooke Baldwin: Fired Up
As founder of Moms Demand Action — the nation's largest grassroots movement against gun violence — author Shannon Watts has helped thousands of women find their voice and take action. In her new book, Fired Up , Watts outlines a practical…
- 393. Megan Greenwell with Jay Willis: Bad Company: Private Equity and the Death of the American Dream
Did you know that private equity firms have a hand in many U.S. industries, including hospitals, daycare centers, supermarket chains, local newspapers, and prison service providers? They also manage highways, municipal water systems, fire…
- 392. Anna Malaika Tubbs with Florangela Davila: What American Patriarchy Has Hidden from Us
One guiding principle for resisting the patriarchy in the United States is to demand equal rights for men and women. Yet, author and multidisciplinary expert Dr. Anna Malaika Tubbs argues that fighting patriarchal culture is more complicat…
- 391. Building a Bikeable Seattle: A Bike Everywhere Day Bash!
Is Seattle on the cusp of a biking Renaissance? From Beacon Hill to SODO to the Waterfront and Downtown, the next few years will bring major improvements to Seattle's growing network of connected and separated bike lanes and bike paths. Th…
- 390. Alec Karakatsanis with Erin Papworth: Copaganda—How Police and the Media Manipulate Our News
What if everything you thought you knew about crime and punishment was shaped by those who profit from it? Join us for a discussion with civil rights attorney and author Alec Karakatsanis as he examines "copaganda"—the deliberate manipulat…
- 389. Shamichael Hallman: Meet Me at the Library — A Place to Foster Social Connection and Promote Democracy
America is facing an epidemic of loneliness and isolation, with troubling effects on our mental and physical health. We live in one of the most divisive times in our history, one in which we tend to work, play, and associate only with peop…
- 388. Derek Thompson with Clayton Aldern: Abundance
From bestselling authors and journalists Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson, Abundance is a call to renew a politics of plenty, face the failures of liberal governance, and abandon the chosen scarcities that have deformed American life. To trac…
- 387. Queering Talks: Out in Front—Radical Leadership in Queer Liberation
In Part Two of our Queering Talks series with Dr. Jen Self , we will center the voices of those who have always led the way in liberation movements, claiming the spotlight for those who have consistently been "out in front" of struggles fo…
- 386. Elie Mystal with Jay Willis - How Overturning Laws Could Help America
Is there a current law on the books that you disagree with? How about ten? In Bad Law: Ten Popular Laws That Are Ruining America , New York Times bestselling author and legal analyst Elie Mystal argues not only that ten pieces of legislati…
- 385. Lessons from Ending Apartheid: How to Resolve Deep Conflict
Around the world and throughout history, bitter political adversaries have put aside their differences and worked together to create peace. In a conversation moderated by Jillian Youngblood, Executive Director of Civic Genius, hear two ext…
- 384. Yoni Appelbaum: Priced out of the American Dream
Seattle home prices are notoriously sky-high, making this city a difficult place to afford and move to. How did Seattle and other U.S. cities become that way? Or, as historian and journalist Yoni Appelbaum puts it, how did the U.S. cease t…
- 383. Ron Wyden with Liz Berry: It Takes Chutzpah
"If you want to make change, you've got to make noise." A call to action in the political sense conveys boldness and focus. It's about drawing attention and speaking loudly about one's convictions, with a sense of urgency and persistence.…
- 382. Chris Hayes with Luke Burbank: How Attention Became the World's Most Endangered Resource
You've probably been there: doomscrolling or otherwise distracted by devices. Many of us have lost focus before as our addictive phones consume our time or interfere with social situations. People bump into one another on the street, look…
- 381. Queering Talks: In Between
Step into the in-between. This segment dives into the rich, transformative power of liminal spaces—those borders and boundaries where identities and experiences defy tidy categories. Our speakers will share deeply personal stories of hybri…
- 380. Jesse Hagopian with Dr. Ayva Thomas and Wayne Au: Teach Truth — Unbanning Books in Public Schools
Did you know that the Seattle Public Library offers any U.S. resident, ages 13-26, a free "Books Unbanned Card," which allows you to check out any e-books or e-audiobooks from the Library's digital collection, no matter where you live? Thi…
- 379. Juan Williams with Enrique Cerna: The Rise of America's Second Civil Rights Movement
After the U.S. elected Barack Obama its first Black president in 2008, some assumed that this signaled a post-racial America. However, subsequent and serious incidents suggested this was not the case, inciting what some came to know as a s…
- 378. Mariana Chilton with Agueda Pacheco Flores: Rethinking What We Know About Hunger in America
In America today, reports show that food insecurity is a pressing issue for over 35 million people. With rising grocery prices, inflation, and the lasting impacts of the pandemic—understanding the complexities of hunger has never been more…
- 377. Casey Michel with Katy Pearce: A Danger to Democracy
If there is one thing on our collective minds these days, it is the issue of politics. But for all the interest it piques, much of it remains a mystery to the American public. Bestselling author and journalist Casey Michel, who tackled the…
- 376. Paul Pierson with Megan Ming Francis: Partisan Nation
Professor of Political Science Paul Pierson, discusses his new book Partisan Nation . Co-authored with Eric Schickler, this book explores the roots of America's democratic crisis, highlighting how the mismatch between the Constitution and…
- 375. Nate Silver with Clayton Aldern: On the Edge
What can professional risk-takers — poker players and hedge fund managers, crypto true believers and blue-chip art collectors— teach us much about navigating the uncertainty of the twenty-first century? In the bestselling The Signal and th…
- 374. David Orr: Reforming Democracy for a Warming World — Pathways to Thriving in a Post-Fossil Fuel Era
Democracy in a Hotter Time calls for reforming democratic institutions as a prerequisite for avoiding climate chaos and adapting governance to how Earth works as a physical system. To survive in the "long emergency" ahead, the book suggest…
- 373. Robert Merry: How Massachusetts and South Carolina Led the Way to Civil War
In his new book, Decade of Disunion , Robert W. Merry explores the critical lessons from the 1850s when the United States faced a growing crisis over slavery. The Mexican War's vast new territories sparked debates on expanding slavery, cla…
- 372. Sasha Abramsky: The Far-Right Takeover of Small-Town America
Sequim––a quiet, coastal community just a couple hours away from Seattle––may seem like an unlikely microcosm for the rise of far-right politics. And yet, political journalist Sasha Abramsky has closely followed small-town communities, inc…
- 371. Aziz Rana with Michael Hardt and Jaleh Mansoor: The Constitutional Bind
Some Americans fear the Federal Constitution falls short in addressing democratic threats, yet it's long been revered for its ideals of liberty and equality. Join us at Town Hall Seattle for a discussion with Aziz Rana, Michael Hardt, and…
- 370. Nora Kenworthy with Marcus Harrison Green: The True Costs of Crowdfunding
Over the past decade, charitable crowdfunding has exploded in popularity across the globe. Sites such as GoFundMe, which now boasts a "global community of over 100 million" users, have transformed the ways we seek and offer help. When face…
- 369. Natalie Foster with Angela Garbes: Freedom Within the Free Market
Government-backed guarantees, from bailouts to bankruptcy protection, help keep the private sector in business in our nation's economic system. What if the same were true not only for businesses but for individuals as well? In her new book…
- 368. Anna Zivarts with Barb Chamberlain and Tanisha Sepúlveda: Driving Change — Navigating Mobility for All
Traffic, parking, gas prices, miles per gallon- many casual concerns might enter your mind when you get into your car and go out into the world. But what happens when your concerns are not casual but constant, and they start with figuring…
- 367. Loretta Napoleoni with Ross Reynolds: The Rise of the New Robber Barons
Technology pioneers like Apple, Amazon, and Microsoft (to name a few) are woven into the fabric of Seattle's economy. Yet, on a day-to-day basis, how much do you think about what these techno giants mean for the future of our world? With s…
- 366. Michael Sheldrick with Paulin Basinga: From Ideas to Impact — Harnessing Pop Culture for Social Justice
In April 2020, when the world was in the early months of COVID-19, you may remember the televised concert that Lady Gaga hosted called "One World: Together At Home." This star-studded show was put together by Global Citizen , an internatio…
- 365. Annalee Newitz with Lindy West: Stories are Weapons
Have you ever thought what #FakeNews might have looked like 200 years ago? While we may be experiencing a new era of disinformation, the tactics aren't necessarily original. Drawing from their latest book, Stories Are Weapons , journalist…
- 364. Stephen Robert Miller with Marcus Harrison Green: Climate Chronicles — The Delusion of Controlling Nature
Erratic weather, blistering drought, rising seas, and ecosystem collapse now affect every inch of the globe. Increasingly, we no longer look to stop climate change, choosing instead to adapt to it. Academics call it maladaptation; simply,…
- 363. Jonathan Metzl with Florangela Davila: Reframing the Conversation on Gun Control
In 2018, there was a mass shooting with an AR-15 at a Waffle House. The racially charged act of violence led Dr. Jonathan M. Metzl, a Nashville-based gun policy scholar and author, to advocate for gun reform. But how can we stop gun violen…
- 362. Renee DiResta: How Public Opinion Forms in a Digital Age
"If you make it trend, you make it true." The cycling of new and buzz-worthy information we face on a daily basis is faster than ever before. As new trends in information, politics, and culture are constantly updating, little time is left…
- 361. Rachel Bitecofer: Counterpunch — Winning Democracy's Fight
Should Democrats be looking to the other side of the aisle for political strategy? Political scientist and strategist Rachel Bitecofer seeks to explain the intricate dynamics of contemporary politics in her new book, Hit 'Em Where It Hurts…
- 360. Juliet Hooker with Megan Ming Francis: The Politics of Loss
Delve into the complex tapestry of American politics with Juliet Hooker, the Royce Family Professor of Teaching Excellence in Political Science at Brown University. Hooker, known for her expertise in racial justice, democracy theories, and…
- 359. Maxwell Stearns with Mark Smith: Transforming America's Democracy
Can a parliamentary democracy end America's constitutional crisis? It's starting to feel to some people that American elections aren't offering us much choice, instead compounding the continued issues of our outdated voting system and show…