Talks on politics, civics and power in the Bay Area

A guided walk and talk led by Kristina Parkison exploring Ohlone plant uses and cultural objects that sustain the Ohlone people's deep connection to the land they have stewarded since time immemorial. The program centers both historical and contemporary Ohlone practices. Ages 8 and up; adult participation required. Bring water, hat, layers, and sturdy shoes.

A weekend hackathon tackling real-world challenges in climate, mental health, justice reform, and art & design in partnership with the UN Convention to Combat Desertification and four Bay Area nonprofits. Developers and non-technical innovators form teams to build solutions including a satellite-based land-planning game for community engagement, mental health support tools for formerly incarcerated people, impact-tracking systems for rehabilitation programs, and scalable design-justice practices. Past winners have presented at UN conferences and launched YC-backed startups. $5,000 in total prizes. Hosted by Value Economy Network.

A guided walking tour of UC Santa Cruz's Upper Campus Demonstration Site exploring forest health treatments and wildfire resilience. Participants will learn about the Wildfire Vegetation Management Plan and techniques including thinning, handwork, mechanical treatment, mastication, and chipping designed to lower wildfire risk and support ecosystem recovery. The approximately one-mile walk is led by university experts and supported through a CAL FIRE Forest Health Grant. Comfortable hiking boots recommended; shuttles provided from Barn Theater Parking Lot.

A guided history walk of Lands End's wild northwest corner led by historian and retired National Park Ranger John Martini. Participants will follow the route of the historic Ferries & Cliff House steam train, view the remains of two shipwrecks (weather permitting), and visit the USS San Francisco Memorial to learn about the warship's 1942 Battle of Guadalcanal. The two-hour walk covers uneven terrain; easy grade. Limited to 30 people.

A talk demystifying El Niño and its local impacts, followed by an open community forum on preparedness and resilience. Learn what to expect from this climate pattern and how Oakland residents can prepare.

A walking tour through San Francisco's Civic Center, Mid-Market, and SoMa exploring murals, monuments, and public art shaped by collective action and community collaboration. Led by art historian, writer, and skateboarder Ted Barrow, the tour begins at the San Francisco Public Library Main Branch at the Maya Angelou monument by Lava Thomas, traces Market Street to Yerba Buena Center for the Arts and the exhibition *Dread Scott: The Body Politic*, and highlights works celebrating the people and communities that shape San Francisco. The program considers how public art creates spaces for connection, visibility, and collective expression, and examines art as a platform for protest and social justice.

Filmmakers will be in attendance for a post-screening Q&A. A screening of Comparsa, a documentary following sisters Lesli and Lupe in Ciudad Peonia, Guatemala, who use art and performance to heal community trauma and confront violence against women after 41 girls are killed in a state-run facility. The film explores how they organize a youth movement featuring exuberant street performances, towering puppets, and fire-breathing stilt walkers to reclaim public space and challenge corruption. Built on a 15-year relationship between filmmakers and subjects, it is a portrait of sisterhood, peacebuilding, and art's transformational power.

An afternoon of civic performance and dialogue exploring the U.S. Constitution's historical role and modern relevance. Artist Christy Chan performs readings from the Constitution in reverse, interrogating whose rights it protects and whose it excludes, followed by a moderated panel discussion titled "Whose Constitution?" featuring cultural historian Jeff Chang (moderator), Michael Schulze-Oechtering (CSU East Bay community organizer), and Nicole Ozer (UC Law SF's Center for Constitutional Democracy and Electronic Frontier Foundation). The panel examines citizens' relationship to the Constitution in the present moment.

An interactive afternoon summit centered on youth voice and civic engagement for children and families. Participants will engage with hands-on stations in art, music, writing, and voting, with inspiring youth speakers, movement breaks, and a quiet room for reading and regrouping. Hosted at Santa Clara University.

Join Kepler's Community Reads program for an interactive event centered on *Her Right Foot*, Dave Eggers and Shawn Harris's illustrated exploration of America's identity, borders, immigration, and Lady Liberty's meaning. The afternoon features a collage workshop led by illustrator Shawn Harris (2:00–2:45 PM, all ages welcome) followed by an open community discussion (3:00 PM) about the book's themes of resistance, oppression, and American ideals as the nation marks its 250th anniversary.

A bimonthly book club discussion of Priya Parker's *The Art of Gathering*, exploring how to create meaningful, intentional gatherings. Hosted by Climate Action Club, a Bay Area community turning climate anxiety into collective action and civic power. Participants bring snacks and discussion, meeting in Washington Park in Burlingame. No prior experience required. Friends, children, and furry companions welcome.

How can climate data drive real-world solutions? A panel discussion on turning climate insights into actionable opportunities, featuring Giancarlo Savini (Carbon Removal Partners), Kevin Kopczynski (Congruent Ventures), and Ajay Gupta (CLAI Ventures). The discussion explores how investors evaluate climate solutions, what evidence validates promising ideas, and what it takes to move from prototype to adoption. Aimed at hackathon participants seeking to connect technical work to customer needs, commercial viability, and measurable climate impact.

Post-screening Q&A with director Jack MacInnes and film subject Israa, moderated by Carrie Lozano. A screening of One in a Million, a ten-year documentary following Israa from age 11 as she and her family flee Syria across the Aegean Sea to Germany, navigating adolescence, identity, and belonging in exile. Co-directed by Itab Azzam and Jack MacInnes, the film chronicles war, displacement, and the tension between new freedoms and Syrian traditions.

A guided walking tour through San Francisco's Castro neighborhood exploring LGBTQIA+ resistance history, created by Shawn Sprockett, a former senior adjunct professor and practicing designer. The tour traces queer activism from the White Night riots through the AIDS crisis and subsequent police violence, introducing figures including trans doctors, lesbian healthcare workers, and community organizers. Approximately 90 minutes of walking on city sidewalks with one moderate hill, ending at the Lookout bar with a complimentary drink. The tour closes Sprockett's three-part history of queer San Francisco (following North Beach and Tenderloin tours). Runs monthly; ages 21+.

A guided multi-course dining experience exploring sustainable food systems from production to plate. Hosted by Stanford Climate Week Executive Director Naomie Chien and JC Arce, Founder & CEO of Tidefield, with participants from the Mercedes-Benz BeVisioneers fellowship, the event pairs curated dishes with conversations about agriculture, climate, science, and technology. Farmers, researchers, entrepreneurs, and chefs discuss environmental challenges across the food value chain and emerging solutions, examining topics from agricultural climate footprint to the role of consumer behavior and culinary innovation in building sustainable food systems.

A screening of the documentary Steal This Story, Please! with journalist Amy Goodman and director Tia Lessin for a post-screening Q&A. Oscar-nominated filmmakers Carl Deal and Tia Lessin examine three decades of Amy Goodman's career as a trailblazing investigative journalist at Democracy Now!, covering global conflicts and stories silenced by commercial media. The film explores how Goodman navigates a news landscape reshaped by corporate consolidation and political assaults on truth, offering both a portrait of resistance and a meditation on democracy when the press surrenders to power.

A screening of *Oceania: Journey to the Center*, an award-winning documentary following Kiribati elder Tekinati Ruka as she explores her nation's history, cultural strength, and response to predicted sea-level rise. The 75-minute film will be followed by a Q&A with filmmaker Natalie Zimmerman, who spent 10 years developing relationships in Kiribati, and Impact Producer Lindsay Gordon. The film addresses climate realities facing the Pacific Island nation, which scientists predict may become uninhabitable within a decade, and explores pathways to climate resilience.

As solar, wind, and battery storage displace conventional generators, the grid loses the stabilizing inertia that once came free from spinning mass. This interactive session explores how inverter-based resources can help maintain grid stability, what their limits are, and how reactive power support fits into the picture. Stanford IEEE's Power & Energy Society will walk through real-world grid events and their lessons, with live demos and open discussion. No power systems background required; open to all majors.

An evening of poetry and prose centered on resistance and radical dreaming, featuring queer, immigrant, and trans writers speaking to justice and imagining alternatives. Curated and hosted by Baruch Porras Hernandez, the program features poets Preeti Vangani and Gio!, with musical guest Mobby Rosas.

The Oakland Museum of California hosts its 32nd annual Día de los Muertos Community Celebration, a vibrant day honoring people, traditions, and stories that connect communities across generations. The day opens with a procession led by the Día de los Muertos Committee, featuring music, movement, and collective acts of remembrance. The event includes gallery access and garden programming. ASL interpretation will be provided for outdoor stage events. $10 admission; members and children under 12 are free with advance reservations.

Professor Galen Crantz displays her personal tax returns from 1963–2018 in a one-day public installation, inviting visitors to witness the accumulation of bureaucratic effort embedded in decades of filing. Attendees are welcome to bring their own tax documents (older than 7 years) to shred manually onsite or deposit in secure bins for later shredding at Berkeley Shreds. The exhibition critiques the collective time investment required by tax filing and asks what more productive uses of our effort might look like.

A youth-led climate rally organized by the Value Economy Network and Citizens' Climate Lobby, focused on community organizing and collective action for climate solutions. Open to young people and allies interested in climate advocacy and peer organizing.

A live demonstration of how used cooking oil is transformed into soap through circular economy principles. Attendees will watch the soap-making process in action, learn about the environmental impact of cooking oil waste, explore the science behind the transformation, and discover ways to support sustainable solutions from everyday materials. The session explores both the practical methodology and the broader concept of converting waste into useful products.

Post-screening Q&A with the filmmaker. A screening of Libertad, a documentary about Alejandra, an Indigenous transgender woman from Oaxaca, Mexico who fled violence 30 years ago and now seeks reunion with her elderly mother while advocating for immigrant, LGBTQ+, and indigenous rights in California. The film explores family, identity, and the transnational challenges of survival and solidarity across borders. Part of the 18th annual SF Latino Film Festival at the Roxie Theater.

Introduction by directors Stephens and Sprinkle with Q&A moderated by Madison Young. A screening of Playing with Fire: An Ecosexual Emergency, a documentary by Beth Stephens and Annie Sprinkle about ecological grief, resilience, and transformation in the aftermath of California's wildfires. When lightning forces the longtime lovers to evacuate their Boulder Creek home, they channel loss into ecosexual art and environmental activism, weaving stories from formerly incarcerated firefighters, Indigenous scholars, fire artists, and community members. The film explores fire as destructive, regenerative, and erotic force while centering queer resilience amid climate crisis.

Examining the rise and fall of the Voting Rights Act from its triumphant passage in 1965 to its recent evisceration by the Supreme Court's Louisiana v. Callais decision, Kevin T. Morris explores the ongoing struggle to protect voting rights in America. Morris contextualizes the landmark 1965 legislation within decades of civil rights history and analyzes the legal and political forces that have systematically dismantled its protections.

A workshop exploring Catholic Social Teaching as a living tradition of shared discernment on justice and human dignity. Fr. William O'Neill, a Jesuit scholar and resident at Santa Clara University's Markkula Center, draws on his work in refugee camps across Kenya, Uganda, and South Sudan to address how we embody CST's vision today—encompassing human rights, ecological ethics, immigration policy, and restorative justice. The session includes structured conversation and reflection, open to Christians and non-Christians alike.

A double panel discussion featuring participants from the Jack Mason Museum's ongoing oral history projects. The first panel explores Growing New Food Systems: Innovative Agriculture and Land Conservation in West Marin County; the second, Building Community: Young People Transform West Marin in the 1970s. Panelists include Dennis and Sandy Dierks and other local participants whose lived experience shaped the region's agricultural and social landscape. Hosted by The Dance Palace and moderated by Dewey.

A free dinner and fireside chat exploring how advocacy, research, infrastructure, and public policy can advance environmental justice. Speakers include Khalid Osman (Stanford, environmental justice and equitable water infrastructure), Cynthia Leung (WeaveGrid, utility-scale solar and clean energy), Arieann Harrison (Marie Harrison Community Foundation, Bayview environmental advocacy), Gabbie Listana (San Francisco Youth Commission), and Roberto Torres (San Francisco Environment Department). The event addresses meaningful community collaboration, the interplay between different disciplines, and how students in engineering, law, business, policy, and the arts can contribute to a just, sustainable future.

Launch event for the new Center for Global Maternal and Child Health, a collaborative initiative between the UCSF Institute for Global Health Sciences and the UCSF Bixby Center for Reproductive Health. The symposium showcases maternal and child health research and programs across UCSF with lightning round presentations, roundtable discussions, and opportunities for cross-campus collaboration. Lunch provided.

John Briscoe, SF poet, lawyer, and restaurateur, discusses the plagiarism of women's writing in the Western canon—examining how female authors have been erased, misattributed, or had their work appropriated within literary history.

How can policy, law, and institutional design advance equity during periods of social and political constraint? This session explores research-informed levers for creating more equitable developmental pathways for children, families, and communities. Speakers include Wendy Ellis, Associate Professor and Director of the Center for Community Resilience at George Washington University, and Laura Huerta Migus, Director of Fellowship Alumni Engagement at Ascend at the Aspen Institute, with moderation by Katie Albright, Executive Director of UC Berkeley's Equity and Excellence in Early Childhood program.

Drag Story Time as a Site of Resistance, Queer World-Making and Community Building — a lecture by Danny Castillo (they/them), an emerging queer scholar and multidisciplinary artist specializing in queer anthropology and child development at San Jose State University. Castillo recently co-organized "Rhinestone Skies: A Night of Drag and Poetry," a family-friendly evening at the San Jose Museum of Art, and is a fellow for the Bay Area Artist Census. Part of the Carol Mukhopadhyay Feminist Lecture Series.

Urban planner Jesse M. Keenan, Associate Professor of Sustainable Real Estate and Urban Planning at Tulane University, discusses his book *North: The Future of Post-Climate America*. The talk explores how climate change is reshaping where and how Americans live, documenting population shifts that are transforming cities, electoral politics, and regional geographies of risk and opportunity. Keenan examines how markets and public institutions shape human mobility, analyzing communities' capacity to adapt as climate impacts accelerate and Sun Belt migration patterns shift. The event frames climate adaptation through the lens of everyday people caught between fast-moving markets and slow-moving governments, exploring both climate-driven relocation and emerging zones of opportunity for sustainable living.

Sharon Weill, Professor of International Law and Director of the Justice Lab at American University of Paris, discusses her ethnographic study of terrorism trials in France, published by Cambridge University Press. Based on hundreds of courtroom observation days spanning small cases to landmark trials including the Charlie Hebdo and Bataclan proceedings, the book examines how terrorism logics are negotiated within criminal proceedings. Through courtroom immersion, legal performance analysis, and interviews with judges, prosecutors, lawyers, and victims, Weill investigates how justice actually functions in practice and traces three generations of evolving trial approaches. The work offers both empirical insights into French criminal procedure and comparative perspective for Anglophone readers unfamiliar with civil law systems.

Veena Dubal, Professor of Law at UC Irvine School of Law and General Counsel of the American Association of University Professors, whose research combines legal and ethnographic methods to study gig work and algorithmic wage-setting, presents Data Laws at Work — the closing session of the Future of Workplace Regulation Colloquium, a five-part series on how emerging technologies are reshaping employment law. Held in the Deb Colloquium Room.

Judge Thelton Henderson, UC Berkeley Law Class of 1962, shares stories and insights from his career as a civil rights lawyer and federal judge, in conversation with Federal Appeals Court Judge and UC Berkeley Law Professor William Fletcher. Henderson's work spans landmark civil rights cases and his tenure on the federal bench, offering a window into judicial reasoning and social change advocacy.

A workshop on supporting clients impacted by violence and trauma, led by Orchid Pusey, Executive Director of Asian Women's Shelter. Designed for legal professionals engaged in pro bono work, the session draws on clinical and advocacy expertise to equip participants with trauma-informed approaches to client care. Held in connection with Domestic Violence Awareness Month and National Pro Bono Week.

A screening of Young China, a documentary retracing Sun Yat-sen's travels across six American cities through historic sites, archival materials, and interviews with descendants and community members. The film explores Sun Yat-sen's deep connections to the United States and the Chinese American communities who supported his revolutionary work over a century ago. Following the screening, a live panel with descendants, scholars, and community members invites reflection on immigration, identity, community involvement, and trans-Pacific history. Part of a special program marking the 160th anniversary of Dr. Sun Yat-sen's birth.

A panel examining Taiwan's 30-year democratic trajectory since its historic 1996 direct presidential election and the trilateral strategies needed to sustain democratic resilience in an increasingly complex geopolitical landscape. Speakers include David Chih-Hsiang Wu, Director-General of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in San Francisco; Thomas B. Gold, Professor of Sociology Emeritus at UC Berkeley; and panelists from Goucher College, Academia Sinica, the University of Pennsylvania's Perry World House, and the German Institute of Development and Sustainability.

How did Iraq and Syria navigate independence in the 1940s–50s, balancing constitutional democracy with military intervention and emergency rule? Matthieu Rey, senior researcher at CNRS-EHESS and former director of the Contemporary Studies Department at IFPO Beirut, examines this contradictory political legacy — the flourishing of parliaments, parties, and civil society alongside authoritarian constraints and military interference. Drawing on 15 years of fieldwork across the Middle East and his book *Histoire de la Syrie*, Rey explores the foundational questions both countries faced: who deserved citizenship, how to develop the nation, and how to distribute power between executive and legislature. These tensions, he argues, prefigure struggles that continue today.

A panel discussion on Abiya Ahmed's new book *Being Muslim on Campus: Religion, Inclusion, and Agency at a Secular University* (OUP, 2026), examining the intersection of scholarship and institutional practice. Ahmed, PhD '21, is Director of the Markaz Resource Center and Associate Dean of Students at Stanford. The panel features Anna Bigelow (Associate Professor of Religious Studies), Anthony Antonio (Associate Professor of Education), and Samuel Santos (Senior Associate Vice Provost of Student Affairs), chaired by Shirin Sinnar (William W. and Gertrude H. Saunders Professor of Law) and Alexander Key (Associate Professor of Comparative Literature).

A conversation on collective action and resistance in the age of AI, examining how technology reshapes privacy, free expression, and accountability. Meredith Whittaker, Signal President and former AI Now Institute director whose research shaped global AI policy, discusses the surveillance practices and power concentration embedded in modern AI alongside Professor Lowry Pressly, who specializes in the ethical and political dimensions of AI and surveillance. The discussion explores how individuals, corporations, and government can be held accountable for technology's growing influence on society.

Has the Democratic Party lost its soul? Author and former Democratic operative Evan Barker discusses her inside story of departing from the party, arguing it has been hijacked by out-of-touch activists, coastal elitists, and special interests. She explores her political disillusionment in conversation with Sarah McCammon, National Correspondent for NPR.

A book talk on China's prison camps, their Soviet roots, and the threats to journalists investigating them. Orville Schell, Arthur Ross Vice President of the Center on U.S.-China Relations at Asia Society and former Berkeley Journalism dean, discusses his research with Adam Hochschild, author of *The Unquiet Ghost* and *King Leopold's Ghost* and lecturer at Berkeley Journalism. Welcoming remarks from Sasha Schell, supervising reporter at the Human Rights Center. Hosted by the Human Rights Center at Berkeley Law.

Daniel Peña, Pushcart Prize-winning writer and Associate Professor at the University of North Texas, discusses his essay collection How to Look Away, which explores how fringe elements of his Texas childhood—AM radio, conspiracy theories, post-Cold War paranoia—came to dominate American political discourse and enabled tolerance for human rights abuses against Latin American migrants. Through journalism, cultural criticism, and memoir, Peña reflects on American citizenship, belonging, and complicity, asking: what compels us to look away from these abuses, and how do we wake ourselves into action?

Who gets called a witch—and what happens when people believe them? UC Berkeley PhD candidate Ilyssa Forman traces the history of American witch hunts from Salem through the Lavender Scare, exploring how the idea of the witch has been weaponized against those deemed dangerous by society: women who refused to obey, LGBTQ+ people, immigrants, sex workers, and other criminalized "others." Through centuries of American fear and difference, Forman asks what makes witch hunts possible, why people become convinced danger hides among them, and what happens when the hunt outlasts the supposed threat. A lecture on power, persecution, and the language of exclusion, followed by Q&A and discussion.

A talk with Ken Knabb, translator of Guy Debord and the Situationist International and author of The Joy of Revolution. Knabb's masterwork examines modern revolutionary possibilities through a situationist lens, analyzing radical tactics across ordinary and extraordinary conditions, and envisioning postrevolutionary liberated communities. This new edition includes updates, detourned comics, reviews, analyses of Occupy and Trump-era resistance, and reflections on the coronavirus shutdown.

Kathi Zellweger and Mike Chinoy discuss Zellweger's firsthand experiences delivering humanitarian aid in North Korea, focusing on strategies for building trust, navigating institutional barriers, and supporting vulnerable populations in one of the world's most isolated countries. The conversation explores the practical and diplomatic challenges of NGO work in restrictive contexts.

Sidra Hamidi, Assistant Professor at Trinity College, presents her book *After Fission: Recognition and Contestation in the Atomic Age* (Cambridge University Press, 2026). Challenging the assumption that nuclear status is merely a technical matter, Hamidi argues that states actively contest how their nuclear capabilities are recognized globally. Drawing on diplomatic history of India, Israel, Iran, and North Korea, she examines the Non-Proliferation Treaty's legal structure, technical ambiguities in nuclear testing, and debates over rights in the global nuclear regime. Her work illuminates how powerful states like the US recognize or reject states' desired nuclear status formulations—with implications for negotiating with countries like Iran and North Korea.

From Reliability to Resilience: Risk-Informed Asset Management for the Energy Transition. Lina Bertling Tjernberg, Visiting Professor at Stanford University and Professor of Power Grid Technology at KTH Royal Institute of Technology, discusses advances in reliability-centered asset management, probabilistic risk assessment, and predictive maintenance for sustainable power grids. Drawing on two decades of research and industry application, including her leadership at Sweden's national transmission system operator, Bertling Tjernberg explores how risk-informed decision-making can support the transition to electrified, resilient energy infrastructure.

Maisha T. Winn, Excellence in Learning Professor at Stanford's Graduate School of Education, discusses her historical ethnography *Futuring Black Lives*, examining Black institution builders of the late 1960s–70s who used publications and literary imagination to shape education for Black children. The book traces how Independent Black Institutions anchored shared Black values while preparing students in identity, purpose, and direction—a model Winn argues remains vital amid current racial disparities in schooling, disproportionate discipline of Black students, and attacks on children's literature through censorship and book bans. She demonstrates how historical archives of Black educational thought can inform contemporary equity and justice work in schools.

A monthly gathering for local women committed to democratic participation and community action. Democracy Hour provides a space for thoughtful conversation, shared learning, and collective organizing around civic issues. The program features inspiring speakers, film screenings, issue spotlights, and action sessions. Bring your lunch; free and open to all.

An introduction to materia's yearly theme exploring micropower and the non-human. The reading session engages Foucault's concept of the microphysics of power from *Discipline and Punish*, examining how power operates between state apparatuses and material bodies—understood in an expanded, non-human sense. Participants will consider contemporary manifestations like algorithmic governance and corporate attention capture. The session includes excerpts from Foucault, Jane Bennett's *The Force of Things*, Clarice Lispector's *The Hour of the Star*, and Nerea Barjola Ramos' *The Sexist Microphysics of Power*. Organized by materia, a Stanford-based Latin Americanist humanities collective.

A presentation and discussion of *Depose: Luigi Mangione, the Right to Health, and the Unfinished American Revolution*, written by the December 4 Legal Committee, which created Luigi Mangione's legal defense fund. The book brings the American healthcare debate to fundamental political questions: Who profits from sickness? Who gets access to health? What would a healthcare system serving everyone look like? A spokesperson for the authors will present.

Congresswoman Lateefah Simon discusses combating public corruption, ensuring government accountability and equal treatment under the law, and protecting American democracy in conversation with Laura Faer, Senior Program Manager at UC Berkeley's Edley Center.

A series of educational sessions throughout October exploring the history and traditions of Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead), culminating in the 4th Camino de los Muertos on November 1st. The program examines the meanings behind key elements of the celebration—the ofrenda (altar), calaveras (skulls), catrinas (dapper lady skulls), cempasúchil (marigolds), and more—with particular focus on place, memory, and resistance in altar-making practices. Hosted by Santa Clara University, open to the community.

A panel discussion on how U.S. universities must restructure to address 21st-century threats, particularly the ecological crisis. Convened by the UCSC Earth Futures Institute, a group of world-class visionaries presents findings on what knowledge society needs and how higher education must reorganize to generate it. Designed for UC students, faculty, administrators, and community members concerned about the role of universities in managing existential challenges.

A conversation with past and current leaders of UC Berkeley's Center for the Study of Sexual Culture surveying trans and queer studies scholarship, documenting attacks on LGBT studies, and exploring how the field might move beyond defensive responses. The dialogue will highlight the social movements, artistic interventions, and research reshaping the field. Featuring Mel Y. Chen (Gender & Women's Studies), Michael Lucey (French and Comparative Literature), and Roshanak Kheshti (Theater, Dance, and Performance Studies), moderated by Eric A. Stanley (Gender and Women's Studies).

Physicist and public intellectual Pervez Hoodbhoy examines recent signs of social and political change in Pakistan, asking whether they represent a genuine retreat from religious fundamentalism or a more limited and uncertain shift. Drawing on decades of activism for science and rationalism in South Asia, Hoodbhoy discusses his latest book *Pakistan: Origins, Identity and Future*. Moderated by Munis D. Faruqui, Director of the Institute for South Asia Studies and Sarah Kailath Chair of India Studies at UC Berkeley.

Nicholas Kristof, Pulitzer Prize–winning New York Times columnist, bestselling author, and documentarian, discusses his path from an Oregon farm to leadership on global justice and climate issues. Kristof's journalism and films have brought urgent humanitarian and environmental stories to millions, bridging the gap between reporting and advocacy. This talk explores how journalism can drive change on the world's most pressing challenges.

Cryptocurrency is reshaping illicit finance and international sanctions enforcement. Alexander Browder, founder of the Global Cryptocurrency Laundering Database, analyzes two decades of major cases to explore how digital assets and stablecoins enable sanctions evasion, state-backed activity, and money laundering by Russia, Iran, North Korea, and other actors. He discusses policy responses from governments, financial institutions, and tech companies, and shares how his research prompted UK and EU action—and led to his being sanctioned by Russia in June 2026.

A screening of Saving 4 Seconds, a documentary about Bay Area efforts to implement life-saving suicide-prevention policy on the Golden Gate Bridge. The film features interviews with local families, advocates, and elected officials who championed the policy, along with never-before-seen CCTV footage of bridge employees intervening to save lives. Hosted by SPUR Urban Center, a trusted civic institution.

A screening of The Unbroken Sky, a narrative dramatic film adapted from the memoirs of Francisco Jiménez, chronicling his family's journey as immigrant farmworkers in California—their labor in the fields, struggle to access school, and fear of deportation. The screening is followed by a fireside chat between Francisco Jiménez, Professor Emeritus at Santa Clara University, and Tomás Jiménez, Professor of Sociology at Stanford and Founding Faculty Director of the Institute for Advancing Just Societies. A Q&A with the production team—director Josh Peterson, executive producer Normandie Ramirez, and producer Robin Mortarotti—concludes the evening. Jiménez's four-book memoir series, The Circuit, Breaking Through, Reaching Out, and Taking Hold, is recognized among the American Library Association's 50 Best Young Adult Books of All Time.

What happens when humanitarian workers operate in one of the world's most closed and repressive regimes? Kathi Zellwegger shares firsthand insights from her experience providing humanitarian aid on the ground in North Korea, offering rare perspective on daily life, state control, and the possibilities for engagement with the isolated communist state. In conversation with Mike Chinoy, journalist and Korea expert.

An Anti-Debate on the billionaire tax, a structured dialogue format where participants build on each other's insights to explore complexity rather than declare winners. Moderated by systems strategist Jenny Stefanotti, with San Jose State finance professor Annette Nellen and UC Berkeley law professor Brian Galle exploring the tax's merits, challenges, and trade-offs from multiple perspectives.

A screening and conversation around Lynn Novick's forthcoming PBS documentary Crime and Punishment in America, executive produced by Ken Burns and Sam Pollard. Novick, an acclaimed filmmaker whose previous work includes documentaries on American history and institutions, will discuss how the United States became the world's leading incarcerator and explore the forces behind mass incarceration. Co-presented by Commonwealth Club World Affairs and KQED Live.

A teach-in and conversation exploring Stanford's legacy of student activism and multiracial solidarity. Student organizers from the Stanford Asian American Action Committee, League of Filipino Students, and Stanford Students for Justice in Palestine reflect on how the 1980s Rainbow Coalition won resources for communities of color, including the establishment of the Asian American Activities Center, and discuss lessons for contemporary organizing.

Explore how our relationships with cities, parks, and the more-than-human world shape our future in this panel inspired by Susanna Kwan's *Awake in the Floating City*, the 2026 One City One Book selection. Drawing on five years of the Parks as Ancestors series, the conversation expands beyond protected parklands to consider urban spaces as living legacies. Local community leaders working on place-based environmental justice—including moderator Yakuta Poonawalla of the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy—reflect on memory, loss, connection, and responsibility across generations and cultures. The panel coincides with Indigenous Peoples' Day, Día de los Muertos, and Diwali, inviting participants to consider what we inherit from places and people who came before us, and what we will leave behind. Attendees may bring a photograph or sentimental object honoring someone they have lost.

A screening of When ICE Melts, a feature-length documentary about resistance to Operation Metro Surge and ICE enforcement in Minnesota's Twin Cities, with director Kip Hedges in person for a post-screening Q&A moderated by SFSU Faculty and CFA member Blanca Missé. The film follows organizers, community leaders, and working-class resistance across neighborhoods, workplaces, and unions, including footage of the January 23 mass strike. It examines strategic lessons in building democratic structures and solidarity to confront authoritarianism, designed as a resource for organizers and activists in other cities.

A community ballot-review gathering where attendees work through local and statewide measures together, ask questions, share resources, and discuss options before casting votes. The format is collaborative and low-pressure—you vote on what you feel informed about and skip the rest. Hosted at Manny's.

A fireside chat with Patrice D. Douglass on the philosophical and social dimensions of Black ontology, absence, and what theorists call social death—the historical and ongoing erasure of Black humanity and presence. Douglass brings critical scholarship to bear on how Blackness has been theorized, negated, and reclaimed.

Rabbi Shais Rishon, spiritual leader of Ohel Eidot CHeMDaT"A (the first African American-led and -centered synagogue in Washington, D.C.), discusses his book *The Souls of Black Jewish Folk*, published under his pseudonym MaNishtana. Drawing on a personal legacy of African American Judaism stretching to the 1780s and his upbringing in the Chabad-Lubavitch community, Rishon explores how Jewish tradition, racial identity, and contemporary American life intersect. He will be in conversation with a member of the USF faculty.

What happens if election meddling triggers large-scale civil protests in 2026? Can U.S. troops be lawfully deployed to intervene against civilian demonstrators, and under what circumstances might they use force? Moderator Rear Admiral Michael Baker (U.S. Navy, ret.) explores the legal and constitutional boundaries of military involvement in domestic unrest, set against the backdrop of recent ICE agent shootings and the militarization of federal enforcement.

What if election interference triggers mass civilian protests in November 2026? Can U.S. troops legally intervene with force against demonstrators? Moderator Michael Baker, a retired Rear Admiral and physician, examines the legal and constitutional constraints on military deployment against civilians, alongside escalating ICE violence in Minneapolis, Texas, and beyond. The event explores how militarization of domestic law enforcement raises the stakes for civic dissent.

A panel discussion on community leadership and social change featuring Claudia Leung (Director of Programs, New Breath Foundation), Tash Nguyen (community organizer, Restore Oakland), and Krishna Desai (attorney, Desai Tran), moderated by Kim Tran. Panelists will explore refuting the model minority myth, overcoming learned powerlessness, and building lasting community change. Attendees will gain new models and inspiration for taking active roles in social transformation. Childcare and light refreshments provided.

Veteran journalist Jonathan Weber, founding editor of The San Francisco Standard, discusses his book *City on the Edge* in conversation with Bloomberg Businessweek editor Brad Stone. Drawing on nearly 200 interviews with elected officials, tech leaders, activists, and artists, the book chronicles San Francisco's transformation from cultural hub to global technology center, exploring the conflicts and pivotal decisions that shaped one of the world's most influential cities—and what they reveal about its future.

Thomas Frank discusses his new book *The Creativity Con*, a critique of how 'innovation' and 'creativity' have become ideological cover for policies that entrench class inequality and protect elite interests. Frank charts the construction of America's self-image from Sputnik to Silicon Valley, examining how these concepts have been deployed by business leaders, technologists, and politicians while actual policies reinforce the status quo—tax cuts for the wealthy, deregulation, offshoring, and urban reorientation. Frank is the bestselling author of *What's the Matter with Kansas?* and *Listen, Liberal*, founding editor of *The Baffler*, and former Wall Street Journal columnist.

A lightning-talk meetup for Bay Area biosecurity professionals covering pandemic prevention technology, AI evaluation for biorisks, and synthetic DNA screening. Featured speakers include Jonas Sandbrink (CEO, BioTrust) on trusted access credentials for frontier biology, and Misha Gurevich (CEO, Aerolamp) on far-UVC technology. Hosted by Tessa Alexanian and Joey Bream in their personal capacities. The evening includes a meet-and-mingle, talks with Q&A, and informal discussion over snacks.

A regional summit convening 250+ senior women leaders from Bay Area business and civic sectors to discuss pressing issues shaping the region's economic and social future. Keynote from First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom. Hosted by the Bay Area Council at PG&E Auditorium.

The Future of Decision-Making Conference examines how AI-enabled systems are reshaping high-stakes decision-making across military commands, intelligence analysis, crisis management, and clinical settings. Hosted by Stanford's Center for International Security and Cooperation, the conference brings together scholars, practitioners, and operational experts to discuss cognitive surrender, military decision-making and AI, and featured research presentations. Topics include how reliance on machine outputs reshapes professional judgment and how AI is changing command decisions in practice. October 28, 2026.

A Stanford HAI conference exploring the societal implications of rapid AI advancement, centered on workforce and labor concerns. Keynote speakers include Fei-Fei Li (Founding Director, Stanford HAI), James Landay (Denning Director, Stanford HAI), Jeff Dean (CEO, DiscoveryLoop), and Audrey Tang (Cyber Ambassador-at-large, Taiwan). The conference addresses widespread anxiety about AI's impact across sectors, examining questions of human worth and place in a shifting technological landscape.

A summit bringing together 1,000+ founders, investors, and innovators from 30+ countries to advance immigrant entrepreneurship and build connections across the global startup ecosystem. The event features keynotes, expert panels, and networking sessions designed to support immigrant-founded companies, attract venture capital, and showcase the economic contributions of immigrant entrepreneurs to innovation and job creation in the Bay Area and beyond.

Regenerate Conference explores the intersection of ranching and grassland bird conservation. Hosted by Point Blue Conservation Science, the conference brings together land managers, conservationists, ranchers, and ecologists to discuss sustainable grazing practices and habitat restoration that support bird populations and ecosystem health across working rangelands.

Two UC Berkeley PhD researchers present work on postcolonial Africa and the archive. Derek Allen (Hispanic Languages and Literatures) discusses postcolonial identity in Luso-Afro-Brazilian literature and film depicting the Luso-African wars for independence and the Mozambican and Angolan civil wars. Chukwudi Isiani (History) explores how architecture functioned as an archive of imperial power in Eastern Nigeria from 1857 to 1960. Part of Berkeley's African Studies lunch seminar series.

A panel examining Isaac Julien's 1991 film Young Soul Rebels, exploring temporality, memory, Black culture, and film theory. Rizvana Bradley (UC Berkeley) discusses the intervallic and phenomenology in Julien's work and Black critical theory. Donna V. Jones (UC San Diego) reflects on how film communicates history through multiple simultaneities, drawing on her experience watching the film in post-Thatcher Britain. Isaac Julien is present. Hosted by the Humanities Institute at UC Santa Cruz.

A panel discussion on careers in plaintiffs'-side civil law, exploring opportunities to advocate for justice on behalf of individuals and families. Hear from lawyers at Public Justice, Our Children's Trust, and members of the National Plaintiffs' Law Association about their work in environmental, consumer protection, and civil rights litigation. Aimed at students and early-career professionals considering public interest legal work.

A discussion of decolonial approaches to human rights practice, examining the power imbalances between Global North and Global South advocacy organizations. The authors of *Decolonial Human Rights Practice: Tactics, Obstacles, and Futures* explore how domination persists within transnational human rights work and strategies for transforming it.

A panel discussion on health privacy law strategy across biotech and pharma sectors. Heather B. Deixler (Latham & Watkins), Joanna Kim and Alexis Watson (Abbott) explore how in-house and outside counsel navigate evolving state-level privacy regimes. Moderated by Vincent Joralemon, Director of the Life Sciences Law and Policy Center at Berkeley Law.

A conversation on critical race theory with Osagie K. Obasogie, Haas Distinguished Chair and Professor of Law at UC Berkeley, and Savala Nolan. They will explore CRT's core tenets, its applications and misapplications across law, politics, and culture, and how students can deploy its analytical frameworks for social justice work inside and beyond law school. Obasogie's research spans law, race, and medicine, examining policing, bioethics, and reproductive technologies.

Lesley Currier of Shakespeare for Social Justice discusses the organization's work bringing Shakespeare courses and performing arts programs to fourteen California state prisons and rehabilitation centers since 2003. Participants will explore the crisis of mass incarceration in California and the U.S., and engage in creative exercises demonstrating theater's capacity to build empathy, foster connection, and transform lives. The event combines lecture with interactive workshop components.

A conversation with Professor Emeritus Charles P. Henry about his new memoir exploring his involvement in pivotal social movements—the search for social identity and the fight for civil and human rights. Drawing on personal experiences of place, memory, family, and Black Studies, Henry's narrative expands to broader issues including the Black diaspora, global community, and intersectionality. Henry is Professor Emeritus of African American Studies at UC Berkeley, former chair of Amnesty International U.S.A., and author of eight books on Black politics, public policy, and human rights.

A screening of two films centering disability narratives and experiences, part of UC Berkeley's commitment to accessible public programming. The event highlights filmmaking that amplifies disabled voices and perspectives, fostering dialogue around disability representation and social inclusion. Free and open to the public with accessibility accommodations.

How are surveillance technologies and data systems transforming U.S. immigration enforcement, and what are the stakes for civil liberties and democratic oversight? This panel examines the convergence of AI-assisted identification, inter-agency data-sharing, and on-the-ground policing practices. Panelists include David Hausman (UC Berkeley Law, Deportation Data Project), Caitlin Patler (UC Berkeley Goldman School of Public Policy), and Jennifer Urban (UC Berkeley Law, Samuelson Clinic), moderated by Deirdre Mulligan (UC Berkeley School of Information, former Principal Deputy U.S. Chief Technology Officer). Part of the Matrix On Point discussion series.

How does AI infrastructure concentrate power and extract wealth? Geographers Dillon Mahmoudi (University of Maryland Baltimore County) and Alan Wiig (University of Florida) argue that the AI economy is fundamentally material and geographic—anchored to specific territories by data centers, energy demands, and land availability. They analyze two forms of monopoly rent: control of location and network proximity (extracting value from proximity to data and low latency), and control of computation itself (concentrated in a handful of firms charging tribute for access to scarce training capacity). Drawing on financial filings, industry reports, and fieldwork in Northern Virginia's Data Center Alley, they show how what appears as agglomeration economy is actually rent extraction through strategic fixity of capital in digital infrastructure—and how rising fixed-capital requirements are driving a profitability crisis in the sector.

Dr. Alan Wiig, Associate Professor of Geography at the University of Florida, examines how data centers shape cities and urban life. His research explores the intersection of urban geography and infrastructure, investigating the physical form, economic function, and political dimensions of AI data centers as they reshape metropolitan landscapes, labor markets, and resource systems.

Learn about indoor air quality, children's environmental health, and practical strategies for creating healthier home environments. Representatives from U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 9 will discuss common indoor air pollutants and asthma triggers—smoke, mold, dust, and pests—and explain how to use the Air Quality Index (AQI) to plan safe daily activities. Space is limited; reservations required.

A conversation on Pakistan's democracy, secularism in the global South, and the political demands of the current moment with Dr. Pervez Hoodbhoy, a distinguished Pakistani physicist, public intellectual, and longtime advocate for science and secular thought. Hoodbhoy taught physics for 47 years at Quaid-e-Azam University in Islamabad and founded The Black Hole, a community space dedicated to science, art, and culture.

A recurring conversation series hosted by UC Santa Cruz's Right Livelihood Center, held every other Wednesday evenings in the dining hall. Each session frames a different theme — from personal meaning-making to activism, mental health, and immigration justice — and invites students across all majors and colleges to gather over food and tea for facilitated dialogue on questions that matter. The structured salon format prioritizes student voice and collective thinking about social change.

A symposium connecting UCSC students with BIPOC environmental and sustainability professionals, organizations, and career pathways. Attendees will learn directly from practitioners across environmental fields, explore diverse career opportunities, and build professional networks. The event centers BIPOC leadership and businesses in the sustainability sector, offering students resources, mentorship, and connections to support their academic and career development in environmental work.

How can decolonization take shape within a former colonial power's political framework? Audrey Célestine (NYU) examines Aimé Césaire's cultural policy as mayor of Fort-de-France through the lens of Léopold Sédar Senghor's 1976 visit to Martinique. Drawing on Césaire's work as both intellectual and elected official, Célestine explores the tensions between local, national, and diasporic political imaginaries—and the central role culture played in defining an emancipatory project pursued within, rather than outside, the French political framework.

A panel exploring redistricting, gerrymandering, and threats to electoral representation ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. The discussion will cover the history of redistricting in the US, racial versus partisan gerrymandering, state independent redistricting commissions, California's Prop 50, recent changes to the Voting Rights Act, and Supreme Court actions affecting electoral fairness. Moderated by Melanie Springer (UC Santa Cruz), with panelists Sonal Shaw (The Texas Tribune), Elspeth Wilson (UC Santa Cruz), and Erik J. Engstrom (UC Davis). Part of the 2026-27 Resilient Democracy event series.

Cecillia Wang, Deputy Legal Director of the ACLU, discusses civil rights, legal defense, and advocacy strategies for protecting fundamental freedoms. Presented by the Asian American Research Center at UC Berkeley.

How does architecture shape society, and what can we learn from the built environment's relationship to political and cultural change? Laura Sánchez Carrasco and Íñigo Cobeta, both associate professors at Madrid's School of Architecture (ETSAM), present research on postwar North American and Spanish architecture and their transatlantic connections. Sánchez Carrasco specializes in architectural history combined with digital analysis; Cobeta's recent work focuses on public schools and the relationship between architecture, territory, and civic space. Both are part of an ongoing research project tracing connections between Spanish and American architecture from 1976–2006.

Award-winning poet, translator, and physician Fady Joudah discusses and reads from Exhibit G: Poems, Essays, and Photographs of Gaza (2026), a finalist for the National Book Award. Writing from the perspective of a Palestinian American doctor witnessing Gaza's destruction from the United States, Joudah examines the paradoxes of his position—caring for the sick while complicit in their suffering, writing in English while defending a colonized people, finding beauty and survival amid devastation. The book explores how beauty persists through Palestinian resilience and the nonhuman world as refuge from human-inflicted war. Hosted by UC Santa Cruz's Center for the Middle East and North Africa with the Humanities Institute.

Author-researcher Ashia S. Ajani and community organizer Keala Uchôa discuss *Tending the Vines*, which unpacks the rhetorical and ethnobotanical lives of plants moved across the Western Hemisphere. The book examines how plants have served as metaphors for Black incursion and symbols for Black liberation, while complicating notions of "invasive" species and belonging. Ajani contextualizes plant migration through an eco-griot and abolitionist lens, while Uchôa brings her work at the intersection of abolition and environmental justice. A conversation on diasporic plant relatives and tender living amid the decline of empire.

A discussion of Mark Danner's essay collection *Crossing the Rubicon*, which examines the erosion of American democratic institutions and the rise of authoritarianism from the 2000 election through 2026. Danner, a renowned political journalist and contributor to The New Yorker and The New York Review of Books, traces how the U.S. arrived at its current state of polarization, offering portraits of key figures like Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld and critiquing mass media's role in politics. He is joined in conversation by Emeritus Professor Michael Pollan, followed by audience Q&A.

Angela Davis, activist, author, and cultural icon, reflects on Nina Simone's iconic song 'I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free' in conversation with Poulomi Saha. The event explores the intersections of music, activism, and freedom through the lens of one of the Civil Rights era's most powerful artistic statements and its enduring cultural resonance.

The 4th annual Collaborative Learning Experience on Reproductive Justice brings together medical students, law students, social work students, undergraduates, and others for a day of transdisciplinary learning. Co-sponsored by the UC Berkeley–UCSF Joint Medical Program, UC Berkeley Gender & Women's Studies, the School of Social Welfare, and the Center on Reproductive Rights & Justice, the workshop integrates perspectives from medicine, law, social work, and gender studies to explore reproductive justice as a framework connecting health, rights, and systemic inequality.

A flavorful exploration of Taiwan through food, examining how the island's diverse history, cultures, and development have shaped its culinary traditions and how cuisine expresses national identity and serves as a tool of cultural diplomacy. Features David Chih-Hsiang Wu, Director General of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in San Francisco, in conversation hosted by the Center for Asia Pacific Studies at the University of San Francisco.

A fireside chat with U.S. Congressman Kevin Mullin on his legislative priorities, state and federal partnerships for economic growth, and business policy. Hosted by the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce.

The EaRTH Center's 5th Annual Research & Translation Forum convenes researchers, clinicians, and innovators around the theme 'Shaping Health Futures: Leveraging Emerging Technologies to Advance Chronic Disease and Pediatric Research.' The day-long program features research presentations, an environmental health poster session, and collaboration opportunities among Center members and awardees. Hosted at UCSF Mission Bay.

South Korea's nuclear export journey spans three landmark projects—KEDO in North Korea, Barakah in the United Arab Emirates, and Dukovany in the Czech Republic—each shaped by different international conditions and policy environments. Dr. Eunjung Lim, visiting scholar at Stanford's Asia-Pacific Research Center and professor at Kongju National University, traces how Korea's nuclear capabilities evolved across nonproliferation cooperation, energy development, and commercial competition. As AI and data centers drive renewed interest in nuclear power, she examines whether Korea's future may require returning to a core lesson: the centrality of international cooperation in nuclear policy and energy security.

How are observatories adapting to survive mounting pressures from wildfires, light pollution, satellite megaconstellations, and federal budget cuts? Dr. Teznie Pugh, Superintendent of McDonald Observatory at the University of Texas at Austin, explores the field's response, arguing that modern astronomy requires training in advocacy, communication, and policy alongside excellent science. She examines coalitions among observatories, environmental and climate scientists, conservation groups, and elected officials, and draws lessons from satellite negotiations, light pollution regulation, and wildfire mitigation strategies.

Four legal experts examine President Lincoln's extraordinary use of executive power during the Civil War and its parallels to contemporary presidential authority. Speakers include UC Berkeley Law Professors Daniel Barber (Co-Director of the Edley Center on Law & Democracy) and John Yoo (Faculty Director of the Public Law & Policy Program), alongside Steven Hayward (Pepperdine School of Public Policy) and Michael Paulsen (University of St. Thomas School of Law).

A lunchtime conversation with Professor Anna Spain Bradley, Distinguished MacArthur Foundation Chair in International Justice and Human Rights at UCLA School of Law, discussing her forthcoming book *Global Racism: A Challenge for the World* (Oxford University Press, October 2026). Bradley examines racism as a global phenomenon operating across continents and centuries, arguing it poses a serious threat to humanity and human rights. She draws on two decades of legal scholarship on peace, dignity, and human rights worldwide. Executive Director Savala Nolan moderates. Attendees enter a raffle for a signed copy.

A century after the University of California erroneously declared the Ohlone people extinct in 1925—leading to the loss of land rights for the Verona Band of Alameda County—UC Berkeley's 'ottoy Initiative (an Ohlone philosophy and practice of repair) is charting a new path forward. Vincent Medina and Louis Trevino, founders of the 'ottoy Initiative, discuss this historic institutional reckoning and how the campus is uplifting Ohlone culture and knowledge. First in a series on contemporary and historical issues impacting East Bay Ohlone communities.

A lecture on the global prevalence and societal costs of violence, examining why interpersonal violence—homicide, intimate partner violence, and severe physical punishment of children—imposes far greater societal damage than wars and terrorism, and what evidence-based interventions can reduce these harms. James D. Fearon, Theodore and Frances Geballe Professor of Political Science at Stanford and Senior Fellow at the Freeman-Spogli Institute for International Studies, presents research showing that while wars are geographically concentrated, nearly all countries face high rates of homicide and assault affecting women and children—yet these rates are demonstrably reducible through targeted programs and social movements.

Mona Fawaz, professor of urban studies and planning at the American University of Beirut and co-founder of the Beirut Urban Lab, interrogates how participatory planning practices navigate fractured publics and rising populist politics. Drawing on a case study of co-designing public space in Beirut following the 2020 Port explosion, Fawaz examines tensions between expert knowledge, political conflict, and representation in a post-truth environment. She reflects on how planning theory's consensus-driven model breaks down when the state's legitimacy erodes and epistemic divisions deepen, and proposes pathways for reintegrating power and reimagining co-production within increasingly polarized cities. Part of UC Berkeley's Department of City & Regional Planning fall lecture series.

A pop-up exhibition and lecture on Lauren Kroiz's new book *Living Power: Women's Suffrage and Modern American Art* (University of California Press, 2026). Drawing on materials ranging from book covers to photographs in the California wilderness, Kroiz traces a visual history of feminist art and inclusive political citizenship, expanding our understanding of how women's suffrage shaped modern American visual culture. The exhibition runs 4:00–5:00 p.m., with the lecture beginning at 5:30 p.m. Kroiz is an Associate Professor in the Department of History of Art at UC Berkeley.

What is the role of private equity in the U.S. economy? Charlie Eaton, Associate Professor of Sociology at UC Merced, presents new research assembling systematic data on PE's shifting strategies and ownership patterns since the 1980s. Drawing on a working paper co-authored with Albina Gibadullina, Marie-Lou Laprise, and Adam Goldstein, Eaton analyzes four interconnected PE roles—corporate raider, main street invader, shadow owner, and monopoly-builder—and how their balance has changed over time. He explores PE's expansion from traditional corporate restructuring toward agglomeration of private companies, longer hold times, and the spread of shareholder value logic across the economy with minimal transparency or regulation.

Amanda M. Smith, Associate Professor of Latin American Literature and Culture at UC Santa Cruz, discusses her forthcoming book *The Nature of Conflict: Rivers in the Wake of the Colombian Peace Accords*. Examining how rivers have participated in art and media addressing Colombia's internal conflict, Smith explores hydrofeminism and aqueous ecologies as frameworks for understanding water as a creative subject. She traces what she calls "ripple effects"—aesthetic decisions and procedures that register the material marks of watersheds in art-making—and argues that creative practice involving water transforms media into an archive of fluvial subjectivity, offering new approaches to understanding the more-than-human impacts of war.

An evening connecting climate designers with business professionals to explore climate careers and real-world solutions. Climate designers from UC Berkeley's College of Environmental Design present projects on flooding disaster management, environmental contamination from sea level rise, extreme heat, and green infrastructure. Attendees gather for topic-specific tables where designers pressure-test visions against professionals with expertise in financing, partnerships, governance, and implementation — an opportunity to discover how climate expertise translates to careers and how business skills apply to human adaptation challenges.

A discussion on U.S.-China relations focusing on energy, technology, finance, and digital trade ties between the San Francisco Bay Area and Shenzhen. Hosted by the Bay Area Council in partnership with Bank of China NY, the event will feature speakers exploring bilateral economic and innovation opportunities. Followed by dinner and drinks aboard the Historic Klamath.

Should universities remain institutionally neutral on political and social questions, or does neutrality itself represent a choice about universities' role in public life? Michael Roth, president of Wesleyan University and historian of higher education, explores institutional neutrality, academic freedom, and the responsibilities of university leaders in a polarized era. Drawing on his tenure at Wesleyan and scholarship including *Safe Enough Spaces* (2019), he discusses when institutions should speak, when they should listen, and how to protect open inquiry while engaging democracy's challenges. In conversation with UC Berkeley English faculty Stephen Best and Colleen Lye, leaders of the Townsend Center's yearlong Sawyer Seminar on Neutrality.

Paul Rogat Loeb discusses his anthology *The Impossible Will Take a Little While*, which collects powerful voices from around the world to inspire ordinary citizens to keep working for change in an age of despair. The collection celebrates hope, courage, and sustained activism, offering readers inspiration and practical wisdom for long-term social engagement.

Followed by a post-screening Q&A with co-director Eric Daniel Metzgar. A screening of The Great Experiment, an epic documentary in black and white filmed across the US from 2017 to 2021, examining American democracy and national identity through observational storytelling. Rather than debate left-right ideology, the film weaves together diverse American experiences to hold contradictions in frame and ask whether the democratic experiment can survive.

A screening of short films and archival footage exploring queer and trans domesticity and community space, presented in conjunction with the exhibition "Where We Made Room." The program opens with Jenni Olson's "575 Castro Street" (2008), a meditation on the Castro Camera Store and Harvey Milk's assassination-eve audio recordings, featuring his iconic message of hope and denunciation of anti-LGBTQ violence. Followed by a discussion between artist and curator Aleo Landeta and filmmaker Jenni Olson on queer spatial practice and their work.

San Francisco voters will decide in November whether to increase funding for the city's Housing Trust Fund. Hear from experts in affordable housing, homelessness prevention, tenant protections, and public policy on the fund's impact, future direction, and connection to related ballot measures.

Filmmaker and human rights advocate Babak Payami examines how Iran's Woman, Life, Freedom uprising marked a fundamental rupture in decades of state-society relations. Drawing on his work with families of Flight PS752 victims, Payami traces the evolution of resistance language from cautious reform to direct moral and political rejection. He argues that their disciplined campaign for truth and accountability foreshadowed a broader transformation in Iranian civil society, as women, students, workers, and marginalized communities challenge both state authority and inherited political divisions. Digital media has rendered these struggles visible and connected across borders, creating new possibilities for democratic participation—though serious obstacles remain.

An illustrated graphic history examining ten major genocides across five centuries—from the mass slaughter of First Peoples in the Americas to the genocide in Gaza. Award-winning writer, artist, and genocide-survivor descendant Dana Moshoian Walrath reveals how dehumanization operates through violence and the political systems that enable it. Her interactive graphic narrative uses visual manipulation to mirror the mechanisms of dehumanization, then restores victims' humanity, making their suffering undeniable. Walrath's previous works include the graphic memoir *Aliceheimers* and the verse novel *Like Water on Stone* on the Armenian genocide.

A summit on belonging, identity, and America's future co-hosted by UC Berkeley's Goldman School of Public Policy, School of Law, Graduate School of Journalism, and the Othering and Belonging Institute. The event brings together scholars, policymakers, journalists, and community leaders to explore how Americans can reimagine national identity and strengthen social cohesion at a pivotal moment. Free to attend.

An examination of corruption and impunity in societies where rule-breaking is ordinary business practice. Rather than measuring violations, Michael Derrer investigates who is protected from legal consequences and who remains exposed—framing unequal impunity as the basis of hierarchy and state power. Drawing on 55 interviews in Moscow and Kyiv conducted in 2021, Derrer contrasts Russia's centralized control of protection with Ukraine's fragmented system, and argues that anticorruption reform, without addressing the underlying distribution of impunity, can paradoxically increase extraction. Derrer is Professor of Economic Sociology at Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts (HSLU) and author of a three-volume study of informal governance in Russia and Ukraine.

A panel discussion on Japanese law firms entering and operating in the California legal market, examining business opportunities, regulatory and competitive challenges, and strategic approaches to market entry and practice development.

Mohammad Darawshe, Director of Strategy at Givat Haviva's Center for Shared Society, joins UC Berkeley's Yoni Furas to discuss the challenges facing Jewish and Arab communities in Israel working toward peaceful coexistence. Drawing on three years of escalating tensions and their impact on intergroup relations, the conversation explores both the obstacles to shared society and pathways forward at this critical moment. Darawshe has dedicated his career to building models of respectful and sustainable collaboration across communities.

A monthly gathering for climate professionals, activists, and the curious to connect and envision together. Malcolm Knapp of Finding the Future will lead a visioning exercise exploring positive futures alongside casual conversation and happy hour. Hosted by Social Impact SF at Trellis, a coworking space dedicated to climate resilience. Beverages available with 25% off happy hour pricing.

A pre-election roundtable on California's 2026 midterms featuring Berkeley IGS Poll Director Mark DiCamillo presenting the latest statewide election data conducted with the LA Times, followed by expert panel discussion. Topics include the gubernatorial race between Xavier Becerra and Steve Hilton, prominent ballot measures including Proposition 39 (Voter ID) and Proposition 40 (Billionaires Tax), and voter attitudes toward key issues shaping the 2026 election. Hosted by the Citrin Center and Institute for Governmental Studies.

Pulitzer Prize finalist Michael Lewis discusses his new book *Blockers*, an inside account of Trump's Department of Government Efficiency and the public servants who resisted it. Lewis, author of *Flash Boys*, *Moneyball*, and *Going Infinite*, traces how individuals navigated a transformative government initiative. In conversation with Lara Bazelon, Professor of Law at the University of San Francisco and author of three books on criminal justice and racial equity, Lewis explores themes of institutional power, ethical resistance, and the human stories behind policy.

A community conversation on lung cancer in the Asian American community, with clinical and research perspectives. Dr. Velotta, a thoracic surgeon at Kaiser Permanente, will discuss clinical insights alongside patient experiences. Dr. Lin, a clinical researcher and lung cancer patient at Stanford University, will share both research findings and her personal experience. The discussion covers prevention, diagnosis, treatment, research advances, and lived experiences, with a focus on raising awareness and encouraging open dialogue about lung cancer in Asian communities.

A screening of *Maxita* with director Mariana Machado, followed by panel discussion. The documentary follows Yanomami shaman Davi Kopenawa, a leading voice for Brazil's Indigenous peoples, as he travels from the Amazon to confront the mining industry destroying the forests. He reunites with activist Ailton Krenak to expose the devastation's global consequences. Part of Cine + Mas 18th Latino Film Festival and ¡VIVA! at the Library, a celebration of Latinx heritage and cultures.

Jacob Weisberg, editor of Slate and author of *Profiles in Cowardice*, examines the people and institutions that failed to resist Trump's agenda. Drawing on the book's devastating reckoning with political and moral capitulation, Weisberg explores how leaders across government, media, and business abandoned democratic principles when it mattered most. A sharp inquiry into institutional failure and the cost of silence.

What if Earth came with a user manual? David Gottfried, founder of the Living Building Challenge and author of *Regen360*, argues that humanity's environmental crisis stems not from a lack of care but from a broken operating system. He introduces the Earth Code, a practical framework for regenerative living and systemic change. Gottfried explores how rethinking our relationship with planetary systems can address climate, biodiversity, and resource challenges.

How did Taiwan transform from an agricultural colony into an economic power in half a century, and how did it export that success globally? This talk traces the history and impact of the 'Taiwan model' of agrarian development—the land reforms, farmers associations, and improved crop varieties that Taiwan's authoritarian government promoted at home and throughout Africa and Southeast Asia during the Cold War. Drawing from Chapter 4 on Taiwan's agricultural missions to the Republic of Vietnam, the speaker explores how Taiwanese agricultural technicians and scientists framed their practices as proof of the Republic of China's modernity while seeking to maintain its contested international legitimacy and domestic martial-law rule.

Sharan Grewal, Associate Professor of Government at American University and Nonresident Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution, discusses his forthcoming book examining Tunisia's democratic transition and collapse. Drawing on interviews with senior officials and three nationally representative surveys, Grewal argues that while power-sharing institutions can stabilize early transitions, extending them too long frustrates voters and enables populists and extremists to gain traction. The book explores this dynamic through Tunisia's own trajectory after the Arab Spring and tests the theory quantitatively across all democratic transitions from 1942–2020, revealing how consensus-focused governance can paradoxically undermine democracy.

Dr. Michael Huther, Director of the Presidium of the German Economic Institute, discusses Germany's economic trajectory amid geopolitical upheaval. Topics include structural challenges in manufacturing and energy, China's growing trade pressure, Germany's defense spending as the Ukraine war continues, and evolving EU-U.S. relations. Huther brings decades of experience analyzing German economic policy, including prior roles as Secretary General of the German Council of Economic Experts and chief economist for DekaBank.

How should democracies deal with an unreliable superpower? Former Canadian Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland discusses her new book examining power inside government, the intersection of trade, security and democracy, and how democracies might resist authoritarian states and oligarchs. Drawing on her careers as a foreign correspondent covering Russia's oligarchs and as a senior Canadian official who renegotiated the USMCA, Freeland offers insights into international political economy and democratic resilience. Moderated by Kathryn Stoner, Freeman Spogli Institute Senior Fellow and Director of CDDRL, with audience Q&A to follow.

Two presentations on Japan's geopolitical positioning: Koji Murata, professor of political science at Doshisha University, examines Japanese domestic politics and foreign policy under Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae, focusing on the LDP's fragile political base and upcoming 2027 presidential election. Satoshi Ikeuchi analyzes the new geopolitical reality in the Persian Gulf—particularly Iran's role in the Strait of Hormuz—and its implications for Japan's energy security and alliance relationships in Asia.

R. Aída Hernández Castillo discusses her forthcoming book *Digging for Hope: A Feminist Ethnography in the Land of Mass Graves* (University of Arizona Press, 2026), an ethnographic study of women-led search collectives in Mexico who exhume and memorialize disappeared loved ones. Drawing on a decade of fieldwork, Hernández Castillo explores how these women enact what she calls a "pedagogy of love"—rooted in care, solidarity, and refusal to forget—to reclaim dignity for the dead and resist normalized violence. In conversation with Diana Negrin (UC Berkeley geographer) and Omar Gómez Trejo (human rights attorney and former lead prosecutor of the Ayotzinapa case), Hernández Castillo examines the gendered dimensions of violence and the grassroots movements that challenge it through emotional community-building and new languages of justice.

The 16th annual Lundberg Institute Lecture explores how artificial intelligence is reshaping pediatric care and how families seek medical information, with a focus on the future of the doctor-patient relationship. Alan Greene, M.D., pediatrician and co-founder of DrGreene.com, discusses the implications of AI for both physicians and parents, moderated by George Hammond, author of *Conversations With Socrates*.

A conversation on California's newly signed SB 1387, which allows Jews to identify as Jewish on government forms asking about ethnicity. Panelists explore implications for Jews in California and beyond, including potential unintended consequences and community concerns about state categorization. Featuring David Bocarsly (Jewish California coalition leader), Aliya Saperstein (Stanford sociologist studying census questions and racial categorization), Keith Feldman (UC Berkeley), Ari Y. Kelman (Stanford), and Rabbi Tarlan Rabizadeh (American Jewish University), moderated by Asaf Elia-Shalev of J. The Jewish News of Northern California.

A screening of the documentary Traces, which centers Ukrainian women survivors of wartime sexual violence and torture resulting from Russia's invasion. Director Alisa Kovalenko and producer Natalia Libet (co-founder, 2Brave Productions) discuss the film's testimony and documentation work, with moderation by Steven Saum of Saint Mary's College.

Historian and curator Gregory Dreicer examines the grand narratives and building processes that shaped the construction of the modern nation during the 19th century. How did America's physical infrastructure reflect and enable the idea of a unified nation?

A faculty panel and workshop exploring AI's role in education, moderated by Pranav Anand (Faculty Director, Humanities Institute; Professor of Linguistics). Panelists include Leilani Gilpin (Computer Science and Engineering), Zac Zimmer (Literature), Lauren Lyons (Philosophy), and Adam Smith (Computational Media). The discussion addresses how AI impacts critical thinking, learning outcomes, and entry-level careers; questions of ethics, equity, and institutional policy; and whether students should embrace, avoid, or selectively use AI. Following the panel, attendees will join small-group workshops to brainstorm institutional responses and pathways forward. The first in a proposed series on AI and education.

A mission-driven summit for founders building defense tech and dual-use startups, alongside government officials and investors. The conference aims to highlight early- and growth-stage companies, foster public-private collaboration, and equip founders with insights and community to succeed in defense innovation. Includes a pre-conference Founder Bootcamp on November 3rd with tactical guidance and direct engagement opportunities. November 4, 9:00 AM–5:30 PM PT.

How has Russia sustained its confrontation with the West since 2022, and at what cost? Hanna Notte, Director of the Eurasia Nonproliferation Program at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies, examines Russia's adaptation after the invasion—working around sanctions, building new partnerships, cultivating support across the Global South, and deepening divisions within Western democracies. Her account combines policy analysis with field reporting from more than a dozen countries and interviews with officials and ordinary people. She also explores domestic consequences: Putin's focus on confrontation has distorted Russia's economy and moved the country toward full authoritarianism. Moderated by Kathryn Stoner, FSI Satre Family Senior Fellow and Mosbacher Director of CDDRL, with audience Q&A.

How did coal materially produce and sustain patriarchal gender orders in Upper Silesia? Anna Seidel, Associate Professor at the University of Vienna, traces the entanglement of coal, masculinity, and heteronormativity through Upper Silesian literature, film, and performance from the early twentieth century to today. Drawing on energy humanities and feminist resource theory, she shows how coal-based patriarchy—men as underground miners, women confined to domestic roles—was consolidated through cultural production, persisted through socialist realism and postsocialist transition, and only began to destabilize as mines closed during Poland's and the Czech Republic's energy transitions. Contemporary works like the Netflix series Królowa and drag performances by Śląsk Przegięty recast coal and queerness as entangled rather than opposed, revealing how cultural representation becomes the space where coal's gender legacies are contested and reimagined.

A panel discussion on feminist approaches to death, mourning, and memorialization in South Asia, examining how gender shapes experiences of loss across the region. Speakers include Fawzia Afzal-Khan (Montclair State University / Princeton University), Angana P. Chatterji (UC Berkeley Center for Race and Gender), Jyoti Puri (Boston University), and Ather Zia (University of Northern Colorado), with panel chair Leti Volpp (UC Berkeley School of Law). Hosted by UC Berkeley's Political Conflict, Gender, and People's Rights Initiative and the Institute for South Asia Studies.

An election-night gathering at Manny's to celebrate the 2026 midterm results. Attendees are invited to watch returns together in a nonpartisan, inclusive setting. Complimentary tickets available by request; pay-it-forward pricing supports free admission for those with financial barriers. No candidate promotion.

Wildfires, atmospheric rivers, power outages—emergencies can strike at any time. This emergency preparedness series brings together local first responders, government officials, and community members to help families plan for everything from inclement weather to manmade disasters. This month's session covers preparing the whole family, from young children to elders, for resilience in crisis. Presented by the City of Mill Valley Emergency Preparedness Commission, Southern Marin Fire District, and Neighborhood Response Groups.

Join UC Berkeley's Institute of Governmental Studies and Robert T. Matsui Center for Politics and Public Service for live coverage of the 2026 midterm election results. The evening includes a brief overview of California ballot measures and a panel of graduate students — Andrew Zhao, Anne Marie Green, Benjamin Gelman, and Jack Maedgen — discussing significant statewide ballot measures, key state and local races, control of Congress, and trends to watch as results come in. Food and drinks provided.

Rich Lyons, Chancellor of UC Berkeley, in conversation at the Berkeley Forum, UC Berkeley's student-run speaker series. The event features a moderated conversation with audience Q&A.

A public forum reviewing California's tech policy developments from the past legislative session. Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan, Chair of the Assembly Privacy and Consumer Protection Committee, leads discussion with an expert panel of civil society leaders on landmark legislation addressing AI transparency, consumer data privacy, algorithmic accountability, and online safety. Speakers examine how recent state laws protect individuals, hold tech platforms accountable, and establish ethical standards for emerging technologies, while exploring future legislative priorities and the collaboration between lawmakers and advocates.

Historian Timothy Stewart-Winter (Rutgers University) discusses his book *Outed: LBJ's Confidant and the Arrest That Transformed a Presidency*, exploring how the exposure of a close adviser's homosexuality became a turning point in both LGBTQ history and American presidential politics during the Johnson administration.

Carolina Valdivia, Assistant Professor of Criminology, Law and Society at UC Irvine, discusses her book *Sanctuary Making: Immigrant Families Reshaping Geographies of Deportability*. As U.S. immigration enforcement expands into neighborhoods, workplaces, hospitals, and homes, undocumented and mixed-status families employ strategies to shield themselves from deportation. Valdivia explores the emotional and material labor of young adults who take on parental responsibilities, broker legal processes, and provide emotional support while navigating these terrains of enforcement. The talk examines how policymakers, organizers, educators, and communities can better support these young people in creating sanctuary for their families.

Emmy Award–winning investigative journalists Michael Rey and Oriana Zill de Granados of 60 Minutes discuss their book investigating the Havana Syndrome attacks that have wounded hundreds of U.S. intelligence officers, diplomats, and special operators. Drawing on nearly a decade of reporting, more than 70 victim interviews, and evidence of Russian intelligence operations, the authors reveal whether a mysterious energy weapon was deployed or whether the U.S. government has covered up a multi-year mystery. A tour de force of investigative journalism examining how government prioritizes its own interests over those who serve the country.

El Niño conditions are expected to increase heavy rain and flooding this winter. Hear from Bay Area leaders working to protect communities before, during, and after storms. Local jurisdictions, community organizations, and advocates discuss flood preparation, response coordination, resilience efforts, gaps in current planning, and sustained investment in emergency preparedness.

Daniele Valisena, Visiting Fellow at the German Historical Institute, UC Berkeley, discusses his book *Italian Lives, Belgian Coal*, which examines the 1946 'men in exchange for coal' agreement between Italy and Belgium. Drawing on archival documents, primary sources, and oral histories, Valisena traces how labor migration, coal extraction, and environmental transformation intersected in the Belgian Walloon coalfields, exploring the agency of states, industry, miners, and ecosystems. The book reveals the environmental and corporeal injustice inflicted by capitalist institutions on workers' health, society, and nature.

Katrina Lee, John C. Elam/Vorys Sater Professor in Law at The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law, examines democracy and the resilience of large law firms. Lee is an award-winning teacher and author of *The Legal Career: Knowing the Business, Thriving in Practice* (third edition, 2026), and teaches Business of Law, Legal Negotiation, and Legal Analysis and Writing. She chairs the AALS Alternative Dispute Resolution Section and previously practiced complex litigation in San Francisco as a law firm equity partner.

A discussion of photographer Norma Ibarra's work documenting Indigenous skateboarders and the decolonial potential of skateboarding as a challenge to settler-colonial property regimes. Ibarra's photographs from the Museum of Vancouver's 2021–22 exhibition *Skate for Change* capture self-fashioned Indigenous skaters, exploring how her collaborative practice reveals skateboarding's cultural resistance to imposed spatial discipline. The presentation examines tensions between skateboarding's liberatory practice and photography's settler-colonial legacy, articulating possibilities for decolonial praxis. Presented by Miguel Fernandez, Ph.D. student in History of Art/Visual Culture at UC Santa Cruz and 2025 Lionel Cantú Memorial Awardee.

StopScamsSF, the nation's first city-led program dedicated to protecting residents from financial scams, is hosting a Listen and Learn Session to educate the community on common scams and tactics scammers use to target residents. Led by Mandy Ngu, Community Engagement Specialist for the Office of Financial Empowerment, participants will learn how to recognize scams while sharing their own experiences and feedback — input that helps shape the city's response to financial exploitation. Cantonese translation provided.

An examination of Arab Shi'a communities, Iran's political influence across the region, and transnational geopolitical connections shaping the Middle East and U.S.-Iran relations. The program explores how Shi'a networks and Iranian power projection affect regional stability and U.S. foreign policy.

Rebecca Tarlau, Associate Professor of Education at Stanford University, discusses her ethnographic research on teacher organizing strategies across Brazil, Mexico, and the United States. Drawing from her book *Occupying School, Occupying Land*, Tarlau examines why teachers' unions in São Paulo, Oaxaca, and New York have pursued radically different approaches—leftist party politics, autonomist politics, and rank-and-file caucuses—and what these divergent strategies reveal about transforming institutions for educational and social justice. The talk explores how teachers' political choices shape both schools and society, offering lessons for scholars and activists working toward more equitable education systems.

A screening of the documentary 'Jesus was a Migrant' examining the contradiction at the heart of American Christianity — how the same faith compels some to welcome migrants while others oppose immigration. The film follows NYT bestselling author and historian Dr. Jemar Tisby to the U.S.-Mexico border. The screening will be followed by a conversation with Dr. Roberto Mata and Dr. Jaime Wright from Santa Clara University's Department of Religious Studies.

Wildfires and smoke are the fastest-growing environmental threat in the US and globally. Marshall Burke, professor of Global Environmental Policy at Stanford's Doerr School of Sustainability, reviews advances in measuring smoke constituents and quantifying short- and long-term health impacts from smoke and fire exposure. He estimates that short-run smoke exposure causes tens of thousands of deaths annually, with that number likely to grow due to climate change. Burke discusses prescribed burning as a leading intervention strategy, presenting evidence that meeting California's prescribed burning targets could meaningfully reduce smoke exposure.

A roundtable discussion on democracy and civic engagement in Silicon Valley, part of SF Democracy Week. Location details will be provided to registered guests.

Khiara M. Bridges, Earl Warren Professor of Public Law at UC Berkeley, discusses her book *Expecting Inequity: How the Maternal Health Crisis Affects Even the Wealthiest Black Americans*, which examines why wealthy Black Americans face dramatically higher maternal mortality than their white counterparts. Drawing on ethnographic research at a San Francisco obstetrics clinic serving affluent patients, Bridges explores the reproductive choices and healthcare decisions class-privileged Black people make to survive the ongoing maternal health crisis. A nationally recognized expert on race, class, and reproductive rights, Bridges brings legal scholarship and anthropological insight to this urgent public health challenge. Moderated by Charles Briggs, Distinguished Professor of Anthropology and Co-Chair of the Berkeley Center for Social Medicine.

A lecture on the paradox of Tunisia's democratic collapse following its post-Arab Spring success. Sharan Grewal, Associate Professor of Government at American University and author of *The Rise and Fall of Tunisian Democracy*, examines how an overemphasis on power-sharing and consensus institutions—designed to ensure inclusion—ultimately frustrated voters and enabled the rise of populists, leading to democratic breakdown in 2021. Drawing on interviews with senior Tunisian officials and nationally representative surveys, Grewal tests his theory against all democratic transitions from 1942–2020, revealing the dark side of compromise and offering new insights into the causes of populism and polarization.

Naomi Caffee of Reed College explores how Indigenous diplomacy functioned as cultural work during the Cold War and its aftermath, examining the politics of recognition and representation across this historical period.

A tribute to Milorad Drašković, the Hoover Institution's librarian and archivist for a decade who shaped its collections and strengthened connections between Serbian, Yugoslav, and international scholarly communities. The event marks the thirtieth anniversary of his passing and features remarks by Dennis Bark, Hoover emeritus senior fellow and historian of European-American relations, and Jasmina Bojić, lecturer in Stanford's International Relations program and founder of the UN Association Film Festival. Attendees will have exclusive access to the newly reopened Polich Library, renamed to honor Todor and Andja Polich and dedicated to the study of Yugoslav history.

A community gathering to discuss the 2026 election results and their implications for the nation's future. Hosted at Manny's Cafe, the event brings people together to learn from one another and reflect on what comes next. Manny's offers free tickets to those who cannot afford the $10 entry and encourages supporters to purchase 'Pay It Forward' tickets for others.

Mark Danner, one of America's foremost political thinkers and author of *Crossing the Rubicon*, discusses essays spanning fascism, the war on terror, Abu Ghraib, Dick Cheney, the Iraq War, and the Bush-Gore and Trump elections. A wide-ranging exploration of power, democracy, and the defining crises of the post-9/11 era from a leading voice in political journalism and analysis.

Wendy Kopp, founder of Teach for America, discusses her work building a national teacher corps and her vision for education equity. The Berkeley Forum hosts moderated conversations with audience Q&A, open to the public.

A presentation and panel discussion on how artists and institutions are evolving archives to center marginalized stories, histories, and perspectives. Participants will explore projects that reimagine engagement with public spaces and memory-work practices for preserving and transmitting culture. This final installment of the Power & Public Memory: Shaping Legacy Program Series — a San Francisco Arts Commission initiative examining the city's Civic Art Collection and supporting artist-led reimaginings of monuments and memorials — brings together community voices historically excluded from these conversations.

Historian Kelly Lytle Hernández discusses her book *Racist by Design: Two Centuries of U.S. Immigration Control*, which traces how the United States has systematically used immigration law and enforcement as a tool of racial subordination from the early 19th century to the present. The conversation examines the legal and policy architecture that has shaped immigration control as a fundamentally racialized practice. Lytle Hernández is a UCLA professor and author of multiple works on US immigration and racial history.