Speaker Series
Springfield Public Forum is best known for our speaker series, where we bring enlightening and insightful speakers to Springfield to speak about our most pressing issues. Over the years, these issues have included climate change, international conflicts, institutional racism, and scientific discoveries. All speakers are highly sought-after experts in their own right. This year’s series is outstanding, by any measure.
The Situation Room: The Inside Story of Presidents in Crisis
George Stephanopoulos
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[…]
ROCTOGENARIANS:
Mo Rocca
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
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
Sian Proctor
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[…]
Ross Gay: The Catalog of Unabashed Gratitude
Ross Gay
"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
Arlo Washington
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[…]
“Yet Here I Am: Lessons from a Black Man’s Search for Home”
Jonathan Capehart
Yet Here I Am: Lessons from a Black Man's Search for Home Jonathan Capehart @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. Pulitzer Prize winning writer, editor and TV host Jonathan Capehart will recount powerful[…]
Ketanji Brown Jackson
Ketanji Brown Jackson
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
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[…]