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Little White Lie is a feature-length documentary that tells Lacey’s story of growing up in a typical middle-class white Jewish household in Woodstock, NY, with loving parents and a strong sense of her Jewish identity — that is until she discovers that her biological father is actually a black man with whom her mother had an affair. When Schwartz uncovers her family secret, it leads her on a personal quest to examine the big issues of race, identity, and belonging. Shoshana Madmoni-Gerber, Communication, PhD, Communication, Journalism & Media will lead the post-screening conversation with Schwartz.
Sawyer Building, Fourth Floor, Stoll Room
8 Ashburton Place, Boston, MA 02108
5:00 pm
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Past Events
The Loving Generation is a four-part digital documentary series focusing on the lives of biracial children, now adults, born to one black and one white parent from the mid-1960s thru the mid-1980s. We will screen two parts – Checking the Boxes and The Obama Era. Carlos Monteiro, PhD, Sociology Department, Suffolk University will lead the post-screening conversation with Schwartz.
73 Tremont Street, Poetry Center, Second Floor, Boston, MA 02108
12:20 pm, lunch will be served.
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American democracy needs the passion and energy young people bring to the table today more than ever. Youth turnout in 2020 hit an all-time high. The question is how do we keep this momentum going? This series will examine why we all – especially younger citizens – can and should lead rich civic lives and actively engage in public life. While political discourse has become toxic and political sectarianism has increased, democracy is about citizens having input in the crafting of public policy decisions. At its best, democracy includes many voices. With more than eight million 18 and 19 year-olds joining the eligible voter pool in 2022, younger voters have even more power to make change. The question is how are they using it. Join us as we examine these issues to understand how young people are flexing their civic muscles and what we all can do to save our democracy.
Monday, November 28, 2022
Live at 6:00 pm via Zoom
This afternoon’s panelists are Samuel J. Abrams, PhD, non resident senior fellow, The American Enterprise Institute, Alvaro Diaz, a student activist at the University of Arizona, Caitlin Donnelly, senior program director, Nonprofit VOTE, Kostas Loukos, twice-elected Town Moderator in Mansfield, Massachusetts where he remains the youngest town moderator in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and Canyon Woodward, political strategist and co-author of Dirt Road Revival: How to Rebuild Rural Politics and Why Our Future Depends On It. Katie Lannan, State House Reporter, GBH News, will serve as the evening’s moderator.
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World-renowned dramatist Hugo Salcedo returns to Boston and to Ford Hall Forum for an evening of reflection on contemporary violence in his home country of Mexico. In The Three Profiles of Violence in Mexico’s Theatre: Immigration, Femicides, and Homophobia, Salcedo will explore how contemporary Mexican dramatists have chosen to represent violence in their plays.
Tuesday, November 15, 2022
6:00 pm
Sargent Hall, Fifth Floor Commons
120 Tremont Street, Boston, MA
This event is free and open to the public
Click Here to attend in person or virtually
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There will be a short dramatic reading of Salcedo’s play Música de balas “Music to the Sound of Bullets” by New York based actor Dylan C. Wack. Winner of the 2011 National Prize for Dramaturgy, Música is a work that speaks to one of the biggest problems facing Mexico – violence due to organized crime. In this powerful play, Salcedo shows us a small window into the terrifying reality of this drug war and humanizes and rescues the victims from becoming mere statistics. This performance invites the audience, through a poetic and nostalgic tone, to feel and experience the daily life of its characters, who become ghostly figures that roam through indeterminate spaces, exalting the esthetic fragmentation and, in turn, expressing human frailty.
The evening’s moderator is Iani Moreno, associate professor, History, Language, & Global Culture Department, Suffolk University.
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Gen-Z’s civic engagement is loud, visible on the streets, and viral on social media. They are engaged, worried about big issues, and increasingly discontent with incremental or no progress in addressing them. The question is whether this energy will translate into votes? How do advocacy groups and political parties recruit young people? Some use aggressive tactics and build on anger. Some tap into the passion for an issue or partisan identity. Others stay above the fray, appeal to a sense of civic responsibility, and extol the power of voting. Who’s listening to all these different messages and why? No matter the rate at which young people turn out to the polls, they will play a pivotal role in the outcome of midterms just a few short days away, play a pivotal role in the outcome of midterms just a few short days away.
This evening’s panelists are
Hannah Joy Gebresilassie, award-winning journalist, media personality, and entrepreneur,
Adam Gismondi, Ph.D., director of impact, Institute for Democracy & Higher Education, Tufts University’s Tisch College of Civic Life,
Eric Gordon, professor, Emerson College, director of the Engagement Lab, and assistant dean of civic partnerships,
Ben Holden, a data science graduate student at the University of Colorado – Boulder and a Suffolk University alumnus,
Serena Saunders, communications & program coordinator, Running Start, and
Clarissa Unger, co-founder and executive director, Students Learn Students Vote Coalition. The evening’s moderator is
Katie Lannan, State House Reporter, GBH News.
Tuesday, November 1, 2022
Live via Zoom at 6:00 pm
This event is free and open to the public.
Past Events
Join us for the staged reading of the new play, SALTONSTALL’S TRIAL, The Untold Story of the Salem Witch Trials by award-winning actress, poet laureate, and director Myriam Cyr and attorney and author Michael Cormier. 1692 Salem, Massachusetts. Hysteria abounds and witchcraft accusations fly. A respected judge Nathaniel Saltonstall, is called to serve on the court of the Salem Witch Trials. As he questions the legitimacy of the proceedings, he is forced to choose between integrity and self-preservation. The truth will put his loves ones at risk and himself on trial. Based on a true story. In collaboration with the Suffolk University Theatre Department and Punctuate4 Productions. The reading will be followed by a talk back with Cyr, Cormier, and Marilynne Roach, acclaimed author and expert on the Salem witch trials. This is a collaboration among Ford Hall Forum, the Suffolk University Theatre Department, and Punctuate4 Productions.
Thursday, October 27, 2022
6:00 pm
Modern Theatre, 535 Washington Street, Boston, MA
Admission is free and open to the public.
PDF Flyer
Registration is required
Past Events
Ford Hall Forum, Women’s and Gender Studies Center, and the Office of Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion present:
Truth Tellers is a film about American Courage. Artist/activist Robert Shetterly has painted over 250 portraits of great Americans and etched inspiring quotes into the backgrounds of each. From the fight to remove symbols of hate to sustainability and climate activism, and from whistleblowing to the rights of indigenous people, Shetterly uses his art to explore these activists’ responses to some of the most pressing issues of our time. From contemporary activists for racial justice Bree Newsome, Zyahna Bryant and Rev. Lennox Yearwood, to climate activists Bill McKibben, Kelsey Juliana, and Bill Bigelow, Shetterly puts them in the context of our great civil rights leaders John Lewis, Fannie Lou Hamer and Bayard Rustin. Truth Tellers is both a story of Shetterly’s art and activism and a history lesson of what is required of a citizen in a democracy.
Thursday, October 13, 2022
6:00 pm
Modern Theatre, 525 Washington Street, Boston, MA
No registration is required to attend in person
This event is free and open to the public.
Teller is a film about American Courage. Artist/activist Robert Shetterly has painted over 250 portraits of great Americans and etched inspiring quotes into the backgrounds of each. From the fight to remove symbols of hate to sustainability and climate activism, and from whistleblowing to the rights of indigenous people, Shetterly uses his art to explore these activists’ response to some of the most pressing issues of our time.
PDF Flyer
https://www.truthtellersfilm.com/
Past Events
Ford Hall Forum and the History, Center for Women’s and Gender Studies, and Language and Global Studies Department at Suffolk University present:
Prominent immigration lawyers and activists Alba Jaramillo, Isabel Garcia, and Eduardo Canales will gather in a panel to discuss the U.S.-Mexican border humanitarian crisis. They will describe the roles they have been playing for decades to try to solve and ameliorate the immigration crisis and their work with asylum seekers, migrants, and the families of people who have perished crossing the border. They will also discuss the current border policies regarding militarization, U. S. Code Title 42, and human smuggling. The evening’s moderator is Iani Moreno, associate professor, History, Language & Global Culture Department, Suffolk University.
Thursday, October 6, 2022
Modern Theatre at 6 PM
525 Washington Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02111
This event is free and open to the public
The talk will be followed by a dramatic reading of the powerful play Winter_Invierno, by internationally renowned Mexican playwright Hugo Salcedo. This artistic presentation vividly portrays the very real crisis happening along the U.S.-Mexico border. In the play, Salcedo humanizies the atrocities that happen when one attempts to flee their country. The dramatic reading is directed by Laura Shink, assistant professor, Suffolk University Theatre Department.
Thursday, October 6, 2022
6:00 pm
Modern Theatre
525 Washington Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02111
This event is free and open to the public.
Click for their Bios:
Past Events
THE SUFFOLK UNIVERSITY LAW SCHOOL IN COLLABORATION WITH FORD FALL HALL FORUM AND GBH FORUM NETWORK PRESENTS:
The State of Local Journalism and the Effects of its Decline on Local Politics, Government Accountability, and Democracy
This year’s Masterman Speaker Series will examine the relationship between the decline of local news and the rise of polarization, as well as the effect this decline has had on government accountability and democracy. The discussion will also consider models for strengthening and reimagining local journalism in the years ahead.
The evening’s panelists are Renée Loth, opinion columnist and former editor of the Editorial Page, The Boston Globe, Professor Joshua Darr, Manship School of Mass Communication, Louisiana State University, and Charles St. Amand, former editor of the Sentinel & Enterprise in Fitchburg, Massachusetts and a Practitioner in Residence at Suffolk University’s Department of Communication, Journalism & Media. The evening’s moderator is Dan Kennedy, professor of, the College of Arts, Media, and Design, Northeastern University, a nationally recognized media commentator, and a weekly columnist for GBH News in Boston. A reception will follow the program.
Thursday, September 29, 2022, at 5:00 pm
120 Tremont Street, 5th Floor Blue Sky Lounge
This event is free and open to the public.
RSVP
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Join Ford Hall Forum and the Suffolk University Theatre Department for an evening of Mini Fringe discussion and theater.
The forum will feature a conversation with playwright/creators Wesley Savick, Theatre Department professor and Larry Jay Tish. The talk will be followed by performances of the playwrights’ works, Trouble on Six – Piece of Tish Work and Handbook of Civilian Defense – Juvenilia.
Saturday, September 17, 2022, 6:00 pm
Modern Theatre, 535 Washington. Street, Boston, MA
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To register to join the conversation
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Thursday, September 15, 2022,
2:00 pm – 3:00pm
Sargent Hall, Fifth Floor Commons
120 Tremont Street, Boston, MA
What Direction for American Democracy? Protecting and Expanding the Right to Vote at a Moment of Choice
What does a fully inclusive, fully participatory democracy look like? Is it possible to have such a system in the United States? In this talk, Miles Rapoport, executive director of 100% Democracy: An Initiative for Universal Voting, will discuss his proposals for reforms to reimagine American Democracy and engage more citizens in the political process. He will also discuss his work as Secretary of State of Connecticut, 1995-1998, his work in the Connecticut legislature 1984-1994, and his work as President of Demos and Common Cause.
This event is free and open to the public.
Registration is not required.
PDF Flyer
Past Events
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Deliberate and Unafraid: Examining the Plight of the Black Woman Cultural Critic
As cultural criticism becomes more valuable than ever, marginalized writers are still routinely pushed to the sidelines and no one is more ostracized than the Black woman critic. But what happens when they manage to find the courage to write–and ultimately find success–anyway? Join award-winning Boston Globe cultural columnist Jeneé Osterheldt as she moderates a discussion among journalist Clarissa Brooks, writer, cultural critic, and community organizer, Erica Campbell, entertainment journalist, host, and the US News Editor, New Musical Express, and Candace McDuffie, senior writer at The Root, who focuses on the intersection of race, gender, and entertainment., as they explore this topic in depth.
Thursday, May 12, 2022
6:00 pm Live via Zoom
This event is free and open to the public
Register Here
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There is a widespread expectation that the Democrats will suffer losses in the 2022 midterms at all levels. This would not be unusual, since it is a regular pattern in which the party of the president in office loses ground in midterm elections. The political environment is challenging, with pain at the gas pump, inflation stretching paychecks, pandemic fatigue, disappointment with what Biden has not been able to deliver, the war in Ukraine, and bitter partisan divisions over hot button issues. Will Biden’s performance amidst all this bad news be rewarded or punished at the polls? The closing episode of this series will examine the state of the state —and the race— as we approach midterms.
Week 6: Midterm Pulse Check: Can Biden’s Party Beat the Odds?
Wednesday, April 20, 2022
Live via Zoom at 6:00 pm
Stephanie Murray, author of POLITICO’s Morning Score leads a panel discussion on the state of the state —and the race— as we approach midterms. The panel will unpack what’s important and reflect on what will happen in November. Joining Murray are Julia Azari, associate professor and assistant chair in the Department of Political Science at Marquette University, Roger Fisk, global communications and marketing strategist who played a key behind-the-scenes role in the back-to-back electoral victories of President Barack Obama in 2008 and 2012, and David Paleologos, director, Center for Political Research, Suffolk University.
Upon assuming office, President Biden proposed an ambitious equity agenda, designed to address systemic racial, gender, ethnic, and economic disparities. One year into his Presidency, we will examine his record. He has made some historic picks to lead his Administration and nominated the first black woman to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court. However, the Biden Administration’s efforts to address voting rights, immigration policy, and economic inequalities have been stalled by a deeply divided Congress. And even a much scaled-down social spending bill—which would have delivered some of the most consequential investments in the social safety net since the New Deal—seems dead in the water.
This event is free and open to the public.
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Past Events
Ford Hall Forum at Suffolk University, Communication, Journalism, & Media Department, Women’s and Gender Studies Department, and the Suffolk University Theatre Department present:
TOO FAT FOR CHINA
A Comic Look at the Agony of Adoption by PHOEBE POTTS
This comedic theater performance is a sequel to Potts’ graphic memoir, Good Eggs, which charts her travails with infertility she and her husband endured. In Too Fat for China, Potts picks up the narrative with her quest for international adoption. The story has a happy ending, but it twists and turns through fraught questions about family and race—subjects that feel particularly pertinent in our current political climate. Potts tackles it all, as she does life, with humor and irreverence.
The performances will be followed by talkbacks with Potts and Shoshana Madmoni-Gerber, associate professor, Communications, Media, and Journalism Department, Suffolk University.
Wednesday, April 13, 2022 at 4:00 pm
Thursday, April 14, 2022 at 7:00 pm
FREE Admission. Reservations Required.
Modern Theatre
25 Washington Street, Boston, MA 02111
TICKETS
PDF Flyer
Past Events
Upon assuming office, President Biden proposed an ambitious equity agenda, designed to address systemic racial, gender, ethnic, and economic disparities. One year into his Presidency, we will examine his record. He has made some historic picks to lead his Administration and nominated the first black woman to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court. However, the Biden Administration’s efforts to address voting rights, immigration policy, and economic inequalities have been stalled by a deeply divided Congress. And even a much scaled-down social spending bill—which would have delivered some of the most consequential investments in the social safety net since the New Deal—seems dead in the water.
Week 5:
Taking Stock: Biden’s Equity Agenda
Tuesday, April 5, 2022
Live at 6:00 pm via Zoom
GBH News Senior Reporter
Phillip Martin leads a panel discussion to examine the present impact and future fate of Biden’s equity agenda, the fierce backlash, and how this is likely to influence voter enthusiasm in the midterms. Joining him are
Cheryl Clyburn Crawford, executive director, MassVOTE,
Gregory Fried, PhD, professor, Boston College, and
Tanisha M. Sullivan, Esq., president, NAACP, Boston Branch.
Past Events
Historical and current shortages in the hospital industry are not limited to personal protective equipment and ventilators but instead include a variety of medical supplies and pharmaceuticals. In this event, a panel of experts from both the hospital and healthcare distribution sectors will discuss how supply chain shortages affect U.S. hospitals, not just during the pandemic but also before. Supply shortages impact both patient care and the cost of care in the United States. Join us to learn about the complex reasons behind these shortages, their impact on our healthcare system, and how both the suppliers and healthcare providers are minimizing the challenges of recurring healthcare supplies.
Thursday, March 31, 2022
6:00–7:30 pm Live via Zoom
This event is free and open to the public.
Speakers:
Peter Bennett Vice President, U.S. Demand and Supply Planning, Cardinal Health
Eric Berger CMRP, Vice President, Supply Chain, Beth Israel Lahey Health
Erich Heneke Ph.D., Director, Business Integrity & Continuity, Mayo Clinic
Yan Hao, MHA’13, MEd, CMRP, CVAHP, Value Analysis Manager, Beth Isreal Deaconess Medical Center
Past Events
Punctuate4, Ford Hall Forum at Suffolk University, and the Suffolk University Theatre Department present The Battle Not Begun:
The Battle Not Begun is an imagined yet truthful portrayal of “Munich,” a world-historic matching of wits between leaders from different moral universes, one like us, one “radically other.” The play offers a fresh understanding of the historical roots of Hitler’s evil.
Thursday, March 10, 2022, at 6 pm
Modern Theatre
525 Washington Street Boston, Ma 02111
Admission is free; reservations are required.
Members of the public age 5+ attending an event held at the Modern Theatre will be required to provide proof of vaccination. We are unable to accept negative test results for entry. Boosters are not required at this time.
Past Events
From charged school board meetings to shouting matches in Congress, on social media platforms, and increasingly partisan media outlets, the level of incivility and outright hostility to anyone with views opposed to one’s own are alarming and unproductive. Real policy debates and compromise cannot be accomplished in an environment in which participants ascribe malign intent or even dehumanize others. Polarization in the United States has created both legislative stasis at the federal level and also widened the red state/blue state gulf, all contributing to a widespread lack of trust in democratic institutions by voters. How did we get here? How will our democracy recover? How can we get out of it? President Biden promised a return to civility in his Inaugural Address. Has he made any headway?
Tuesday, March 1, 2022
Live via Zoom at 6:00 pm
This program is free and open to the public.
Our evening’s panel of nationally recognized experts is,
Scott Klug, former Republican U. S. Representative for Wisconsin’s 2
nd congressional district,
Larry LaRocco, former Democratic U. S. Representative for Idaho’s 1
st congressional district, and
Jennifer McCoy, Ph.D., professor of political science at Georgia State University and nonresident scholar at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. The evening’s moderator is
Arjun Singh, audio producer covering politics, The Washington Post.
