Events On Demand From The Vanderbilt Project On Unity & American Democracy

Al-Marayati and Samar Ali, Unity Project co-chair, will explore the shared experiences of Muslim and Arab Americans and the ongoing crisis in Gaza in a timely and insightful conversation at noon on Monday, April 22, at the John Seigenthaler Center. This in-person event is limited to Vanderbilt students, faculty and staff members; you must register using your Vanderbilt email address. Read More

The event, hosted by The Vanderbilt Project on Unity and American Democracy and the Rogers Center for the American Presidency, is scheduled to take place Tuesday, Feb. 20, at 5 p.m., and is free and open to the public; registration is required to attend. Read More

On Tuesday, Feb. 6, former U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney joined Pulitzer Prize–winning author and professor Jon Meacham, co-chair of the Vanderbilt Project on Unity and American Democracy, to speak about the future of U.S. democracy at the inaugural event for the Carolyn T. and Robert M. Rogers Center for the American Presidency. Read More

Maha Elgenaidi, founder and executive director of the Islamic Networks Group, will visit Vanderbilt’s Rothschild Black Box Theater next month for a conversation with Divinity School Dean Yolanda Pierce. The discussion is expected to explore Elgenaidi’s perspective on the Israel-Hamas conflict and the theological context and historical backdrop shaping it, along with her advice on effective communication practices around deeply personal and polarizing topics. Read More

Rabbi David Wolpe, whom Newsweek called “the most influential rabbi in America,” will visit Vanderbilt, joining Divinity School Dean Yolanda Pierce for a fireside conversation centered around Vanderbilt’s commitment to free expression, constructive dialogue and mutual respect. The free event, which is a part of the Dialogue Vanderbilt initiative, is open to Vanderbilt students, faculty and staff and will be at 5 p.m., Jan. 18; registration is required. Read More

Thandeka Tutu-Gxashe and Rev. Naomi Nontombi Tutu, daughters of famed human right activist Desmond Tutu, will be on campus for 'Lunch & Learn: International Development and Global Peacemaking' to share their experiences and answer attendees’ questions about their work. The event will take place from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m., and registration is open to all members of the Vanderbitl community. Read More

As a part of Free Speech Week, the Vanderbilt Project on Unity and American Democracy is hosting a Lunch and Learn to expand the dialogue of learning outside the classroom setting. The discussion will explore First Amendment issues here in Tennessee with American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee Director Kathy Sinback. Read More

The next Vanderbilt Project on Unity and American Democracy Unity Dinner will take place on Thursday, Oct. 5, from 5:30–7 p.m. The event, “Unity Dinner: Under God,” invites Vanderbilt students, faculty and staff to a guided discussion about the role of religion in a divided time.  Read More

The Vanderbilt Project on Unity and American Democracy will host its next Unity Dinner, “What Is Unity?” on Wednesday, Sept. 27, from 5 to 7:30 p.m. Led by Stacy Clifford Simplican, principal senior lecturer in gender and sexuality studies, the discussion will examine what unity is, who unity is for, and whether it’s worth striving for. Read More

Whether it’s "Bidenomics," interest rates, inflation, stagflation or GDP, economic jargon is back in the headlines as the 2024 presidential race heats up. The Vanderbilt Project on Unity & American Democracy is calling in the experts to explain the bigger story behind the numbers in “Ask an Economist: Where Are We Now?” on Sept. 27 at 11:30 a.m. Read More

Jonathan Metzl has written extensively for medical, psychiatric and popular publications about some of the most urgent hot-button issues facing America and the world. He serves as the director of Vanderbilt University’s Department of Medicine, Health and Society and is the Frederick B. Rentschler II Professor of Sociology and… Read More

This Unity Dinner will center on the project’s pillar “Race in America: Toward a Nation of Equality.” This pillar focuses on the historical and present-day impacts of racism in America and how we can work toward a more equal and just society.  Read More

The Vanderbilt Project on Unity and American Democracy continues its Unity Dinner series with Unity Dinner: Hours of Hope on Tuesday, April 18, at 5:30 p.m. Please register to attend; space is limited. Read More

The Tennessee Legislature has recently garnered national attention with the attempted expulsion of three state representatives—and the eventual expulsion of Rep. Justin Jones and Rep. Justin Pearson. The Vanderbilt Project on Unity & American Democracy will host a virtual event on Thursday, April 13, at noon to discuss the broader historical, political and spiritual context and to explore legislative effectiveness at the state level and the potential long-term impacts of last week’s events. Read More

The Vanderbilt Project on Unity and American Democracy will host a watch party on Tuesday, April 4, at 5 p.m. in Buttrick Hall, Room 306 as part of the University of Southern California Climate Forward Conference. The Unity Project will livestream the panel “Finding Common Ground in the Climate Conversation,”… Read More

In partnership with the Center for Latin American, Caribbean and Latinx Studies, the Vanderbilt Project on Unity and American Democracy will host Brazilian historian and journalist Dr. Thiago Krause and former U.S. Ambassador to Brazil Michael McKinley to discuss similarities between the Jan. 8 insurrection in Brazil this year and the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol in 2021. Read More

The Vanderbilt Project on Unity and American Democracy is launching Unity Dinners, a new series that aims to bring students, faculty and staff together in community and conversation around society’s most pressing issues. "Unity Dinner: Race in America" will be held on Thursday, March 23, at 5:30 p.m. in Buttrick Hall, Room 123. Read More

U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan, who represented Ohio’s 13th Congressional District for 20 years, will visit Vanderbilt to discuss his efforts to work across party lines at an event hosted by the Vanderbilt Project on Unity and American Democracy on Tuesday, Feb. 28, at 7 p.m. This in-person-only event will be in Wilson Hall, Room 103. Read More

In partnership with Vanderbilt’s Department of English and MFA Program in Creative Writing, the Vanderbilt Project on Unity and American Democracy is soliciting poems from students currently enrolled in any Tennessee college or university. Students may submit a poem in the style of their choosing that explores what unity through American democracy means to them. Read More

To cultivate transformational connections across campus, the Vanderbilt Project on Unity and American Democracy will launch the Vanderbilt Unity Lab this spring. The Unity Lab will equip VU community members with the tools necessary to strengthen the bonds of cultural affinity and promote civil discourse. Students, faculty and staff are encouraged to apply for program training positions. Read More