Novelist David Joy (left) and NPR journalist Asma Khalid return to UD’s National Agenda for its opening session on Sept. 8.

‘Reflecting America’

Article by College of Arts and Sciences Communications Staff Photos courtesy of Center for Political Communication September 07, 2021

Annual National Agenda speaker series opens Sept. 8

The University of Delaware’s Center for Political Communication (CPC) will sponsor its annual National Agenda speaker series this fall semester, with a variety of talks exploring how today’s historic era of political divides, social movements and economic upheavals — fueled by the COVID-19 pandemic and politics — is redefining America.

The “Reflecting America” series opens Wednesday, Sept. 8, with a talk by two speakers, a novelist and a journalist, who also shared their perspectives during National Agenda 2017. David Joy and Asma Khalid return to campus to reflect on the changes the last four years have brought.

The series will continue every other Wednesday, beginning at 7:30 p.m., with three of the sessions, including the first, offered in person in Mitchell Hall on the UD campus, as well as via webinar. The other three sessions will be available only by webinar. All talks are free and open to the public with registration required; register at this site for in-person events, to be held Sept. 8, Oct. 6 and Nov. 17, and at this site for any or all virtual events.

This year’s lineup will continue the tradition of celebrating the diversity of America with speakers sharing their insights as political insiders, authors, artists, journalists and media figures. A discussion and question-and-answer session follows each talk, with the emphasis on respectful debate.

“It seems more important than ever to demonstrate civil dialogue across our differences, because in the end, we are all human and likely have more in common than we think,” said Lindsay Hoffman, associate professor of communication and political science and director of the series and the accompanying class. “As always, National Agenda will feature diverse perspectives and genuine conversation about the issues facing the nation, with an emphasis on modeling and demonstrating civil discourse.”

National Agenda is also an academic course in which students have the opportunity to host and interact with the nationally known speakers during their visits to campus, in person or virtually, and learn some of the operations involved in staging a political event.

The speaker series is supported by the Office of the Provost and the College of Arts and Sciences.

This year’s speakers and their topics are:

Sept. 8 (in person and virtual), David Joy and Asma Khalid, “Four Years Later.” Joy, author of Where All the Light Tends to Go and When These Mountains Burn, is a sixth-generation North Carolinian who grew up in Appalachia. Khalid is an award-winning journalist who is the White House correspondent for NPR and co-host of The NPR Politics Podcast. Both were part of National Agenda 2017, which examined geographic, religious and cultural differences.

Sept. 22 (webinar only), Berny Jacques and Geston Pierre, “Divisive Issues Through Civil Dialogue.” Jacques is a former Florida assistant state attorney and active community leader. Pierre is an emerging leader who shares his message as a pastor and a musician. Both sons of Haitian political refugees, they explore the question: Can we imagine a future where we disagree deeply but still like each other?

Oct. 6 (in person and virtual), Eric Michael Garcia, “Respecting Differences.” Garcia is a senior Washington, D.C., correspondent at the Independent and author of We’re Not Broken: Changing the Autism Conversation. His work has focused on American politics and disability rights and includes his personal experience as a person with autism. He considers himself a journalist, not an advocate.

Oct. 20 (webinar only), David Hogg, “A Generation’s Voice.” Hogg is a survivor of the 2018 shooting that killed 17 of his friends, classmates and teachers at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. He joined with friends to co-found March for Our Lives and has become a nationally known agent for change in addressing the tragic impact of gun violence.

Nov. 3 (webinar only), Sarah McBride, “A First in the First State.” McBride is a Delaware state senator who was elected in 2020, becoming the first openly transgender state senator in American history. A lifelong community advocate, the Wilmington native has worked at the state and national levels to address issues of discrimination, health care and child abuse and has taught public policy at UD.

Nov. 17 (in person and virtual), Nikkolas Smith, “The Power of Art.” Smith is an activist, children’s book author and Hollywood film illustrator, as well as the illustrator of a new children’s book, The 1619 Project: Born on the Water. His work focuses on creating captivating art that can spark important conversations around social justice and inspire meaningful change.

An opportunity for UD students to engage

Also this year, National Agenda is bringing the Free Intelligent Conversation project back to campus as an opportunity for students to engage in conversation with strangers.

The project debuted at UD in 2019, part of the national nonprofit organization founded by Kyle Emile, who said that we all need to talk to strangers more than ever. As a student in 2013, he and friends in Chicago began holding a sign in a public place, inviting passers-by to take part in meaningful dialogue with them.

The national organization has been expanding since then.

“So if you see a student with a sign that says ‘Free Intelligent Conversation,’ don’t hesitate to approach them for a fun, enlightening or unusual interaction,” Hoffman said of this year’s project at UD. “I don’t know about you, but I am craving genuine conversations after so many months of isolation.”