Vanderbilt Project On Unity And American Democracy

David Brooks, an internationally acclaimed journalist whose work has shaped timely conversations around controversial and complex issues, will receive Vanderbilt University’s prestigious Nichols-Chancellor’s Medal when he speaks at the university’s 2024 Commencement activities. Brooks’ Graduates Day address will be on May 9 at 11 a.m. on The Commons Lawn. Read More

Don Abram, the visionary founder of Pride in the Pews, will be the next speaker in the Dialogue Vanderbilt faith leader series. His conversation with Vanderbilt Divinity School Dean Yolanda Pierce is scheduled for 5 p.m. March 6 at the John Seigenthaler Center. 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

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

Americans overwhelmingly feel that their political systems do not represent them, including compromise on abortion, and they are not confident the American political system accurately reflects their will, according to the latest quarterly Vanderbilt Unity Poll measuring Americans’ unity and beliefs on government and democracy. 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

Vanderbilt community members interested in expanding their intercultural competency and learning how to better engage across and within differences are encouraged to sign up to be part of the Vanderbilt Unity Lab’s second training cohort. Successful applicants will receive a modest stipend and semester-long training in four internationally recognized modules designed to equip them with the tools necessary to strengthen the bonds of cultural affinity and promote civil discourse. Read More

A feature program about The Vanderbilt Project on Unity and American Democracy will make its Nashville Public Television debut on Thursday, Nov. 16, at 8:30 p.m. CT and will be available afterward on the PBS app. Directly following the premiere, at 9:30 p.m., Vanderbilt professor John Geer and Unity Project co-chairs Bill Haslam and Samar Ali will discuss what they’ve learned in the two years since the project’s inception.  Read More

Vanderbilt celebrated its “bedrock principle” of free speech through a series of panels and discussions Oct. 10–17 during the university’s inaugural celebration of national Free Speech Week. 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

Findings from the Vanderbilt Project on Unity & American Democracy's third quarterly poll show that only one-fifth of Americans believe that everyday citizens are united when it comes to the most pressing issues facing the country, and less than two-fifths believe that Americans are likely to unite in the future. While there is not a lot of optimism about unity in the country, there is agreement on the high value of freedom of speech and expression. Read More

The Vanderbilt Project on Unity and American Democracy invites undergraduates to apply for its Student Advisory Board. This group will contribute to the Unity Project’s mission of enhancing Americans’ capacity for civic engagement, provide advice on additional programming, and have the opportunity to interact with prominent guests.  Read More

Vanderbilt community members are invited to join the Vanderbilt Project on Unity and American Democracy for its first Lunch and Learn, "What LatinX Means to Asylum Seekers," on Tuesday, Sept. 19, from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. Registration is limited to 25; lunch will not be provided. Read More

The Vanderbilt Project on Unity and American Democracy, including an undergraduate course, encourages civil discourse during a time of deep polarization. Read More

Students from seven Tennessee colleges and universities submitted poems exploring “What unity through American democracy means to me” for the second annual poetry contest sponsored by the Vanderbilt Project on Unity & American Democracy. The judges selected Vanderbilt senior Sophie Kaiser’s poem as the winner. 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

Reps. Gerald Connolly, D-VA, and Don Bacon, R-NE, and Sens. Gary Peters, D-MI, and John Cornyn, R-TX, top their respective lists of the most effective Democratic and Republican lawmakers in the recently completed 117th Congress (2021–23), according to the latest round of legislative effectiveness scores compiled by the Center for Effective Lawmaking, a joint initiative between Vanderbilt University and the University of Virginia. Read More

The Vanderbilt Project on Unity and American Democracy will host CBS Chief Washington Correspondent Major Garrett and David Becker, executive director of the Center for Election Innovation and Research, to discuss their book, The Big Truth: Upholding Democracy in the Age of the Big Lie, on Tuesday, Jan. 31, at 11 a.m. at the Scarritt Bennett Center. Read More

Bestselling authors Peter Baker and Susan Glasser will join Pulitzer Prize-winning presidential historian Jon Meacham for an evening of discussion Dec. 7 surrounding the legacy of the Trump presidency and the midterm elections’ potential impact on our country’s fractured politics. Read More

With consequential midterm elections less than one month away, the Vanderbilt University Debate Team will host an intercollegiate debate this weekend on how to improve U.S. election processes and boost voter turnout. The event will be on Saturday, Oct. 15, at The Commons Center Multipurpose Room. Read More