Past Events

Let's Talk Democracy provides classes, seminars and discussions forums in the belief that informed, knowledgeable citizens will be better equipped to actively participate in the democratic process.

 

Click on VIEW DETAILS, under each year's list,

to find out more about the topics, the speakers, and any links, videos or

presentation materials available for each past LTD event. 

 

2023 EVENTS

  • DEC Virtual Forum:  What is the Mission of Public Education in the 21st Century? – TTHE CIVICS CLUB AT NASSAU COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE AND FOREST HILLS HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS

  • NOV Virtual Forum:  The Elections of 2023 - Portents and Possibilities – PROF. MICHAEL KRASNER

  • NOV Virtual Forum:  What's on the Ballot? – NYC VOTES

  • OCT Virtual Forum:  The Messaging is the Message! – GRETCHEN BARTON AND BILLY RAY

  • SEP Virtual Forum:  Why Media Matters – MILO VASSALO

  • JUNE Virtual Forum:  Resilience – LISA HAHN

  • MAY Virtual Forum:  Getting Beyond GDP – DIRK PHILIPSEN

  • APR Virtual Forum:  Civil War by Other Means – JEREMI SURI, PH.D.

  • MAR Virtual Forum:  Surprising Reforms of the Gilded Age – PROGRESSIVE MODELS FOR TODAY - PROF. NANCY C. UNGER

  • FEB Virtual Forum:  Is the U.S. Really Less Corrupt Than China? – PROF. YUEN YUEN ANG

  • JAN Virtual Forum:  Welcome to the NEW New York...a SWING State! – BEN YEE

 

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2022 EVENTS

  • DEC Virtual LTD Forum:  Pianists, Dictators, and Cultural Ambassadors - World Politics and Classical Music in America – Prof Jonathan Rosenberg

  • NOV Virtual LTD Forum:  2022 Midterms, Part 2–The Aftermath...What Now? – PROF MICHAEL KRASNER

  • OCT Virtual LTD Forum: 2022 Midterms - What's at Stake? – PROF MICHAEL KRASNER

  • SEP Virtual LTD Forum: Where the Action is in 2022 - State Legislatures – MELISSA WALKER

  • JUN Virtual LTD Forum:  Why is the Media Helping to Destroy American Democracy? – PROF MICHAEL KRASNER

  • MAY Virtual LTD Forum: The Covid Pandemic - How Has It Changed Us?

  • APR Virtual LTD Forum:  Dealing with Climate Crisis in NYC – JASMINE GRAHAM

  • MAR Virtual LTD Forum:  Women and The Vote – SUSAN GOODIER

  • FEB Virtual LTD Forum:  Defunding Disinformation – NANDINI JAMMI 

  • JAN Virtual LTD Forum:  The Impact of Climate Crisis on NYS – NAN FAESSLER AND GLENN JACOB

 

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2021 EVENTS

  • JAN Virtual LTD Forum:  2021 - Is There a Way Forward? –  PROF. MICHAEL KRASNER

  • FEB Virtual LTD Forum:  INSURRECTION!  What Happens Next?  – BENJAMIN CARTER HETT

  • MAR Virtual LTD Forum:  Ranked Choice Voting and the New York City Primaries –  BEN YEE

  • APR Virtual LTD Forum:  Fighting Asian Fighting Bias and Racism  – Speaker: GRACE MENG

  • APR Virtual LTD Forum:  The Power of Narrative-Climate Skepticism & the Deconstruction of Science – SHONDEL NERO

  • MAY Virtual LTD Forum: Protecting Our Democracy - Responding to Voter Suppression –  PROF. MICHAEL KRASNER

  • JUN Virtual Forum: Voter Advocacy Fair – COMMON CAUSE, FUTURE NOW, AND CROSSING PARTY LINES Organizations

  • SEPT Virtual Forum: The Power of State Government –  MELISSA WALKER

  • OCT Virtual Forum:  Anti-Asian Racism: Historical & Today –  MAE NGAI

  • NOV Virtual Forum:  What's Next NY?  The Aftermath of the Elections –  BEN YEE

  • DEC Virtual Forum:  Building Back or Breaking Down?  American Politics Now – PROF. MICHAEL KRASNER

 

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2020 EVENTS

  • Virtual Forum:  2021: What's the Way Forward? 

  • Virtual Author's Talk:  "The Color of Law" by Richard Rothstein 

  • Virtual Forum: The Aftermath of the Most Important Election in History

  • Virtual Community Book Read & Discussion: The Color of Law by Richard Rothstein

  • Virtual Forum:  Racial Inequality-Part 3: Collective Action

  • Virtual Forum:  2020 - The Most Important Election in History?

  • Virtual Forum: Racial Inequality Today - Part 2: American Black Experiences – Personal Stories

  • Virtual Forum: Racial Inequality Today - Part I: Why We're Still in the Aftermath of The Civil War

  • Virtual Forum: National Conventions and the Road to Voting

  • Virtual Forum: Understanding the Life Cycle of a Crisis

  • Forum: Census 2020 - A Deep Dive

  • Forum: Improving our News and Media Information Literacy

  • Community Read: The Curse of Bigness, by Tim Wu

 
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2019 EVENTS

  • Forum:  Understanding the Real Situation at Our Southern Border

  • Forum: New Climate Change Solutions - How We Can All Help 

  • Forum:  Understanding How NYC Charter Controls City Spending

  • MANHATTAN SERIES: The Structure of Federal, NY State and City Governments

  • Community Book Read:  On Tyranny, by Timothy Snyder

  • Forum:  Amazon - Lessons to be Learned

  • Forum:  A Recap of the 2018 Elections, with Susan Lerner

 
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2018 EVENTS

  • Forum:  Celebrating the 70th Anniversary of the Signing of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights 

  • Immigration:  A Deep Dive into Its History and Current Laws

  • MANHATTAN SERIES: The Structure of Federal, NY State and City Governments

  • Immigration:  A Deep Dive Into Its History and Current Laws

  • Midterm Elections:  The Stakes

  • Demystifying Primaries and Elections

  • Demystifying City Politics and Figuring Out Where We Fit In

  • Delays, Re-Routing, Station Closings...What Can We Do to Get Our Subway Back on Track

  • Let's Talk Democracy Expands to Manhattan:  An 8-Week Civics Series

  • Let's Talk Forum:  Daring Democracy - Meet the Authors/Queens

  • Let's Talk Forum:  Daring Democracy - Meet the Author in MANHATTAN

  • Toward a More Perfect Union: Making Your Voice Heard Encore

  • Let's Talk Forum:  Daring Democracy Community Read 

  • Toward a More Perfect Union: Making Your Voice Heard - A 6-Session Civics Series

 
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