Discussing his new book, “The Years That Matter Most,” Tough describes the way higher education in America can both help and hinder young people searching for better opportunities.

Free Virtual Event The Center for Social Justice and Springfield Public Forum are thrilled to welcome Evan Wolfson, founder of Freedom to Marry—the successful campaign for marriage equality in the United States—as the Center’s inaugural Gervino-Ward LGBTQ+ Speaker. Wolfson will be joined by WNE School of Law Professor Jennifer Levi, director of GLAD’s Transgender Rights[…]

Tightrope: Americans Reaching for Hope Nicholas Kristof + Sheryl Wudunn Authors of the best-selling Half the Sky, Kristof and WuDunn introduce us to the working-class families of Kristof's hometown who've been profoundly damaged as a result of policy mistakes. Many of his peers have died from drugs, alcohol, suicide, or reckless accidents. The authors also[…]

Election 2020: What's Next? This much we know — Joe Biden is President-elect and Kamala Harris makes history as the first woman and the first person of color to be Vice President-elect. But questions abound. Who will win the remaining undecided seats in the Senate? How did the COVID-19 pandemic affect voter turn-out? Did first-time[…]

Tough Love: My Story of the Things Worth Fighting For A Conversation with Ambassador Susan Rice National Security Advisor to President Barack Obama and US Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice will share pivotal moments from her dynamic career on the front lines of American diplomacy and foreign policy. Taught early, with tough love, how[…]

NEA Big Read Pocumtuck Valley: Station Eleven What can a 2014 novel set in a dystopian post-pandemic world tell us about the value we place on the arts, the grace of everyday life, and our current real-life pandemic? An initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest, the NEA Big[…]

The First 100 Days of the Biden Presidency Tamara Keith has been a White House correspondent for NPR since 2014 and co-hosts the NPR Politics Podcast, the top political news podcast in America. She covered the final two years of the Obama presidency, and during the 2016 presidential campaign she was assigned to cover Hillary[…]

Susan, Linda, Nina & Cokie: The Extraordinary Story of the Founding Mothers of NPR A group biography of four beloved women who fought sexism, covered decades of American news, and whose voices defined NPR In the years after the Civil Rights Act of 1964, women in the workplace still found themselves relegated to secretarial positions[…]

Improving Health Equity: Changing the Odds How does race, class, wealth, education, geography, and employment impact public health?  Dr. Tony Iton is a Lecturer of Health Policy & Management at UC Berkeley’s School of Public Health. He is also a Senior Vice President for Healthy Communities at The California Endowment. He has asserted that in[…]

EMPOWERING YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH During the pandemic, there was a 31% increase in the numbers of young people in the younger age group showing up in emergency rooms for psychiatric or mental health concerns. The biggest issues were remote schooling, and the isolation and loneliness experienced during the pandemic compounded by the normal pressures of[…]

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: How Seeking and Speaking the Truth about Racism Can Radically Transform Individuals and Organizations  An essential conversation for individuals, organizations, and communities to jump-start a dialogue on racism and bias and to transform well-intentioned statements on diversity into concrete actions. Dr. Livingston provides a compass for all those seeking to begin the work of anti-racism and[…]

David Sanger The Perfect Weapon: War, Sabotage, and Fear in the Cyber Age  Cheap to acquire, easy to deny, and usable for a variety of malicious purposes, cyber is now the weapon of choice for democracies, dictators, and terrorists. Everyone is a target, and ordinary Americans are often the collateral damage. We live in a[…]

Ambassador Bill Taylor An Evening for Ukraine: Forum and Concert event The Springfield Public Forum and the Pioneer Valley Symphony are joining forces to host “An Evening for Ukraine” on Wednesday, May 25, from 6:00 - 9:00 pm, at Springfield Symphony Hall. The event features a talk from former Ambassador to Ukraine Bill Taylor and a benefit[…]

The Springfield Public Forum has partnered with the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame to assemble an All-Star, Hall of Fame panel to discuss and celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Federal Title IX legislation that began to level the playing field for women’s sports funding and participation. The event will take place at Symphony Hall on[…]

The Economy: What's Changed? What’s Next? with Kai Ryssdal, Host and Senior Editor of Public Radio's Marketplace Kai Ryssdal, Host and Senior Editor of Marketplace Over the last 20 years, Kai has been the host and senior editor of Marketplace, the most popular program on business and the economy – radio or television, commercial or[…]

After the Midterms: A Political Outlook with Ana Navarro Ana Navarro, GOP Strategist and Political Contributor to CNN, Telemundo, Co-Host of ABC’s The View Ana Navarro deftly analyzes the current political landscape with her signature no-holds-barred candor and larger-than-life personality. Part political commentary, part prognostication, she shares hilarious and enlightening insider stories about the movers and[…]

Making History: Lessons from a Year in Space with NASA Astronaut Capt. Scott Kelly History-Making NASA Astronaut; First to Complete a Year-in-Space Mission FREE TO THE PUBLIC. GENERAL ADMISSION AND NO TICKETS REQUIRED! During his record-breaking Year in Space, U.S. astronaut Scott Kelly captivated the world while laying the groundwork for the future of space[…]

The Emotional Lives of Teenagers Dr. Lisa Damour Clinical Psychologist; Senior Advisor,  Schubert Center for Child Studies, Case Western Reserve University Register for the webinar HERE *Note: This program will be presented online via Zoom so schools and community organizations can gather throughout the region to watch together and to provide an opportunity for discussion and[…]

DEMOCRACY AWAKENING: Notes on the State of America Historian and Author Heather Cox Richardson Springfield Symphony Hall, 34 Court St. Springfield, MA Like all Springfield Public Forum events, this event is free to all with no tickets required. Doors will open at 5pm. There is on-street metered parking, free parking at MGM Springfield two blocks[…]

Springfield Takes the Oscars Stage Award-winning Costume Designer of Black Panther Springfield Symphony Hall, 34 Court St. Springfield, MA Like all Springfield Public Forum events, this event is free to the public with no tickets required. There is on-street metered parking, free parking at MGM Springfield two blocks away, or a parking garage right next[…]

Reading the Constitution: Why I Chose Pragmatism not Textualism Stephen Breyer, Retired Associate Justice, U.S. Supreme Court Springfield Symphony Hall, 34 Court St. Springfield, MA Like all Springfield Public Forum events, this event is free to the public with no tickets required. There is on-street metered parking, free parking at MGM Springfield two blocks away,[…]

The Situation Room: The Inside Story of Presidents in Crisis George Stephanopoulos *NEW VENUE* The Basketball Hall of Fame 1000 Hall of Fame Ave, Springfield, MA Please note that our events have security screenings. Please do not bring backpacks or large bags. George Stephanopoulos, former senior advisor to President Clinton and for more than 20[…]

Late in Life Debuts, Comebacks, and Triumphs ROCTOGENARIANS: Late in Life Debuts, Comebacks, and Triumphs Mo Rocca Springfield Symphony Hall, 34 Court St. Springfield Please note that our events have[…]

10 to 25: The Science of Motivating Young People: David Yeager Springfield Symphony Hall, 34 Court St. Springfield Please note that our events have security screenings. Please do not bring[…]

Space2inspire: Reaching for the Stars Dr. Sian "Leo" Proctor Springfield Symphony Hall, 34 Court St. Springfield Please note that our events have security screenings. Please do not bring backpacks or large bags. Dr. Sian Proctor will share her unique space story and how she won her seat to space as an artist and poet, and[…]

"The Catalog of Unabashed Gratitude" Poet Ross Gay **Virtual Event** Register at: https://bit.ly/BigRead-RossGay . Join us as Ross Gay discusses his "Catalog of Unabashed Gratitude" a part of the NEA Big Read 2025. This is the keynote event for the Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association and Montague Public Libraries NEA Big Read 2024/25, co-sponsored by the[…]

Fostering Community-Driven Prosperity and Opportunity Documentary Screening and Panel Discussion Springfield Symphony Hall, 34 Court St Springfield, MA . “If you see a problem, fix the problem." - Arlo Washington Join us for a documentary screening and panel discussion as "The Barber of Little Rock" Arlo Washington, President and CEO of the Opportunity Finance Network[…]

Associate Justice, Supreme Court of the U.S. Ketanji Brown Jackson Associate Justice, Supreme Court of the U.S. Springfield Symphony Hall, 34 Court St Springfield, MA ** Please Note** Typically, no tickets are required to attend Forum events, but this event required tickets and it is sold out. For ticket holders: Signed copies of the Justice's[…]

Age of Revolutions: Progress and Backlash from 1600 to the Present Fareed Zakaria Springfield Symphony Hall, 34 Court St Springfield, MA . The CNN host and best-selling author will discuss the revolutions―past and present―that define the polarized and unstable age in which we live. Populist rage, ideological fracture, economic and technological shocks, war, and an[…]