Events

Interfaith America Founder Inaugurated Hunter ‘Civil Discourse’ Series

The inaugural discussion of the “Promoting Civil Discourse and Intellectual Dialogue” series, which happened the week after the 2024 presidential election, centered on interfaith cooperation, pluralism, and politics.  

Internationally renowned scholar and civic leader Eboo Patel, founder of Interfaith America, spoke about the need to listen carefully and interact nonjudgmentally with persons of different views.

Alumna Talked Community Healing at Second of ‘Civil Discourse’ Series

In the second installment of Hunter College “Promoting Civil Discourse and Intellectual Dialogue” series, therapist Laura Quiros discussed community healing by incorporating diversity and inclusion into trauma-informed care and anti-oppression work. 

A Hunter alum, Quiro obtained her master’s at the Silberman School of Social Work in 2000 and is now an associate professor at Montclair State University and a consultant for organizations on trauma-informed diversity issues.

‘Civil Discourse’ Series Talked About Israel-Hamas War

Taking on the Mideast crisis, the series featured a discussion with an American-Jewish and a Palestinian American professor. 

“We Need to be able to Hear the Other: Talking Across Divides about the Israel & Hamas War with Ari L. Goldman and Gregory Khalil” was a dialogue between the two, who co-taught a course on covering religion for secular media at Columbia University School of Journalism. 

Goldman, a former religion correspondent for The New York Times, and Khalil, the co-founder and president of a Washington D.C.-based peacemaking organization, the Telos Group, spoke on the conflict and their conflict-resolution experiences.

‘Civil Discourse’ Series Hosted Palestinian American Novelist

What’s it like growing up as a Palestinian American? 

For Susan Muaddi Darraj, a Palestinian American author of books for adults and children, the answer is in a word: complicated. 

Muaddi Darraj discussed her upbringing in an installment of Hunter’s Promoting Civil Discourse & Intellectual Dialogue series: “The Intersection of Identity: Growing Up Palestinian-American,” on February 13. Muaddi Darraj is the author of the well-received Behind You Is the Sea, which follows characters from an immigrant family in Maryland as they confront a diverse country with different mores and values.

‘Civil Discourse’ Series Addressed Cancel Culture

In this installment of the “Civil Discourse” series, civil-rights and women’s rights activist Loretta J. Ross held a conversation with Emmy Award-winning television journalist and podcaster Carol Jenkins about reining in the excesses of cancel culture. The focus was on establishing true communication so that Americans can solve problems together.

Ross, who teaches women & gender studies at Smith College, was named a MacArthur "genius” fellow in 2022. She is the author of the recent book Calling In: How to Start Making Change with Those You'd Rather Cancel.

‘Civil Discourse’ Series Examined Hasidic Jews in America

Hasidic Jews form a distinctive and insular subculture in many American cities, imparting their heritage through strong families, synagogues, and educational institutions. In recent years, some members of such communities have left the fold, leading to a spate of media about the experience of breaking with tradition.

Hunter sociologists Schneur Zalman Newfield and Heba Gowayed discussed those popular depictions in Hunter’s “Promoting Civil Discourse & Intellectual Dialogue” series, “Leaving the Hasidic Community: Reality versus Popular Culture.”

‘Civil Discourse’ Series Discussed Academic Freedom and Freedom of Speech

This panel discussion examined the scope of the First Amendment and statutory protections for speech, association, and assembly by staff, faculty, administrators and students. During the discussion, the panelists addressed the application of those principles to the current controversies surrounding campus protests. Speakers were Risa Lieberwitz, a professor at the Cornell University School of Industrial and Labor Relations; Deepa Das Acevedo, an associate professor of law at Emory University; and Frederick Schaffer, a former CUNY general counsel and vice chancellor for legal affairs.

Finding Our Voices: ‘Civil Discourse’ Series Featured Immigration Activist

The “Civil Discourse” series featured Aarti Namdev Shahani, host of the Art of Power podcast and the author of the memoir Here We Are, speaking about how she became a journalist and immigration activist.  

As a young girl in Queens, she fought for the freedom of her Indian-born father, a shop owner, who was unjustly accused by the government of laundering money for a drug cartel.

‘Civil Discourse’ Series Tackled Trans Rights

All’s fair in love and war, the saying goes, but not necessarily in schools and sports.  

That was the topic of the third in Hunter College’s “Promoting Civil Discourse and Intellectual Dialogue” Series, on “A Fairer Playing Field: Trans Rights in School and Sports.”  

The discussion featured Lex Horwitz, a Philadelphia-based transgender activist who played college sports, and Bobby Hodgson, assistant legal director of the New York Civil Liberties Union.

Migration Expert Talked About Refugees, Asylum in ‘Civil Discourse’ Series

With questions of immigration, asylum, refugees, and deportation at the forefront of American politics, Hunter’s “Civil Discourse & Intellectual Dialogue” series hosted Professor Marciana Popescu of Fordham’s Graduate School of Social Service.  

Her talk on migration narratives outlined an intellectual framework for understanding the refugee experience and how the government and social-service agencies have responded to it, to understand the human dimension.

Jewish Thinker Headlined ‘Civil Discourse’ Series

An American Jewish thinker on Judaism, Zionism, and Israel visited Hunter as part of the "Promoting Civil Discourse & Intellectual Dialogue” series.

Yehuda Kurtzer, president of the Shalom Hartman Institute, spoke “On Compromise: Can A New Approach to Pluralism and Persuasion Heal Divided Communities?” He examined the social psychology of such questions as, “how can we advocate passionately for our convictions yet maintain pluralistic communities?”