Dr. Cornel West & Thomas Chatterton Williams at The Richmond Forum

APRIL 29, 2023

Dr. Cornel West & Thomas Chatterton Williams

THE ABSOLUTE CONDEMNATION OF NO ONE

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FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Dear Richmond Forum Sponsors and Subscribers,

Tonight is the night we look forward to all year! At the conclusion of this evening’s program, we will announce our speakers for the 2023 - 2024 season, and the list is extraordinary. These national names will offer insights, perspectives, and stories that are sure to challenge and delight you—as well as leave you with a renewed sense of curiosity and appreciation for different perspectives.

You will not want to miss a single moment of this remarkable season. Following tonight’s program, the Portal will open and allow you to renew for next year. You have until Sunday, May 28 to renew your seats or request upgrades.

When you renew, you will have the new opportunity to purchase online gift subscriptions for your friends and family. Sharing The Forum with loved ones allows them to experience the intellectual and emotional rewards of our thought-provoking programs. We have heard from many subscribers that sharing The Forum has given them new points of connection to the important people in their lives. Online subscriptions make a great gift for Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, and high school or college graduations. Your gift recipient will be able to stream our upcoming 2023 - 2024 season from anywhere in the world. They can also use the Portal’s Ticket Marketplace to upgrade to theater seats the week before each program.

The Richmond Forum is a very special part of our city’s culture. You are a member of a community that values learning, dialogue, and live engagement, and I thank you for your continued support. Together, we can create an atmosphere of intellectual curiosity and respect that is sorely needed in our society today.

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TONIGHT’S PROGRAM

Dr. Cornel West & Thomas Chatterton Williams

THE ABSOLUTE CONDEMNATION OF NO ONE

APRIL 29, 2023

OPENING MUSIC & NATIONAL ANTHEM

OPENING REMARKS

Rodney Stith

Heather Mullins Crislip

Executive Director

The Richmond Forum

WELCOME AND INTRODUCTION

Teresa Downs Vice President and Associate General Counsel

Altria

CONVERSATION

Dr. Cornel West & Thomas Chatterton Williams with Dr. Makola M. Abdullah President

Virginia State University

Fifteen-minute intermission for collection of audience questions via Slido

AUDIENCE QUESTIONS

Dr. West & Mr. Williams with Dr. Abdullah

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ABOUT TONIGHT’S SPEAKERS

TWO OF THE MOST ORIGINAL AND IMPORTANT AMERICAN PHILOSOPHICAL MINDS OF OUR TIME, Dr. Cornel West and Thomas Chatterton Williams do not agree on everything but are committed to the absolute condemnation of no one. Together, they will explore whether we can cultivate a redemptive culture that transcends polarization, how institutions can be tolerant and open cultural spaces while being less captive to fleeting outbursts over transgressions, and how we can outgrow the reflexive reactions of people who believe they know the “correct” political opinions. Issues of race, cancel culture, philosophy, and art will surely weave together tonight in a wide-ranging intellectual reflection on this cultural moment.

Dr. Cornel West

“YOU WORK THROUGH RACE, YOU DON’T DENY RACE. IT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BEING COLOR-BLIND AND LOVE-STRUCK. YOU SEE, IF I LOVE YOU, I DON’T NEED TO ELIMINATE YOUR WHITENESS. IF YOU LOVE ME, YOU DON’T NEED TO ELIMINATE MY BLACKNESS. YOU EMBRACE HUMANITY.”

“I THINK IT’S ABSOLUTELY UNDENIABLE THAT NOBODY REALLY ADVOCATES FOR COMPLETE TOTAL SPEECH WITHOUT ANY CONSEQUENCE OR ABSOLUTE FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION. THERE’S A LINE THAT MOST OF US AGREE ON SOMEWHERE.”

Thomas Chatterton Williams

ABOUT TONIGHT’S SPEAKERS

Dr. Cornel West Thomas Chatterton Williams

DR. CORNEL WEST IS A PROMINENT AND PROVOCATIVE INTELLECTUAL. He is passionate about communicating with a vast variety of publics in order to keep alive the legacy of telling the truth and bearing witness to love and justice.

His career in academia has been remarkable. After graduating magna cum laude from Harvard University in three years and obtaining his master’s degree and doctorate in philosophy from Princeton University, Dr. West went on to teach at Yale, Harvard, and the University of Paris. He currently serves as the Dietrich Bonhoeffer Chair at Union Theological Seminary and holds the title of Professor Emeritus at Princeton.

Having written 20 books and edited 13, Dr. West is best known for his works “Race Matters” and “Democracy Matters: Winning the Fight Against Imperialism,” as well as his memoir “Brother West: Living and Loving Out Loud.” His most recent book, “Black Prophetic Fire,” offers an unflinching look at 19th and 20th century African American leaders and their visionary legacies.

Dr. West is a frequent guest on “Real Time with Bill Maher,” as well as CNN, C-SPAN, and Democracy Now! He made his film debut in “The Matrix” and has appeared in over 25 documentaries and films, including “Examined Life,” “Call & Response,” and “Sidewalk and Stand.” Dr. West has also produced three spoken word albums, including 2007’s “Never Forget,” in which he collaborated with Prince, Jill Scott, Andre 3000, Talib Kweli, KRS-One, and the late Gerald Levert.

A CULTURAL CRITIC FOR EXTRAORDINARY TIMES,

Thomas Chatterton Williams brings his insightful perspective to the subjects of race, Black identity, Black history, cancel culture, social justice, and inequality in America and the world. His thought-provoking lectures touch upon some of the most urgent issues confronting American culture today, and are intertwined with his own family’s compelling multigenerational story of transformation from what is called Black to what is perceived to be white.

Called “a remarkable new literary voice,” Williams is the author of two highly acclaimed books: “Self Portrait in Black and White: Unlearning Race” and “Losing My Cool: Love, Literature, and a Black Man’s Escape from the Crowd.”

Williams is a contributing writer at The New York Times Magazine and The Atlantic. His work has appeared in The New Yorker, Harper’s Magazine, Vanity Fair, The London Review of Books, and Le Monde, and has been collected in “The Best American Essays” and “The Best American Travel Writing” series. In the summer of 2020, Williams was a co-author of “A Letter on Justice and Open Debate.” The letter was published in Harper’s Magazine and signed by 153 prominent intellectuals.

Williams is a graduate of Georgetown University and New York University. He is currently a nonresident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, as well as a visiting professor of the humanities and a senior fellow at the Hannah Arendt Center at Bard College. He has been a national fellow at New America, a Guggenheim fellow, and a recipient of the Berlin Prize from the American Academy. He writes from Paris, where he lives with his family.

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OUR COMMUNITY IS strengthened when we engage multiple perspectives.

MODERATOR

DR. MAKOLA M. ABDULLAH

DR. MAKOLA M. ABDULLAH IS THE 14TH PRESIDENT OF VIRGINIA STATE UNIVERSITY. He is a member of numerous boards and committees, including: the Council of 1890s Presidents for the Association of Public Land-Grant Universities, the Board of Trustees for the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on College as well as the Council of Presidents for Virginia Institutions of Higher Education, and the Board of Directors for Big Brothers Big Sisters of America and The Richmond Forum.

Prior to his appointment as president of Virginia State University, Dr. Abdullah served as provost and senior vice president at Bethune-Cookman University in Daytona Beach, Florida, provost and vice president for academic affairs at Florida Memorial University in Miami Gardens, and dean and director of 1890 land-grant programs at Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University in Tallahassee.

Dr. Abdullah is a Chicago native. He earned his undergraduate degree in civil engineering from Howard University and his doctorate and master’s degrees in civil engineering from Northwestern University. He is the youngest African American to receive a Ph.D. in engineering. He is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity.

CONNECTED TO WHAT SPARKS CONVERSATION.

RODNEY STITH

TONIGHT’S MUSICIAN

RODNEY STITH EPITOMIZES CLASSIC RHYTHM AND BLUES. Born and raised in Petersburg, Virginia, Stith is one of Virginia’s most beloved and up-and-coming artists. His powerful retro sound evokes the soulfulness of classic R&B. Likewise, he exudes a smooth edge—mellow on the mind, yet so compelling that he stirs a new emotion with every note.

Stith’s music captures the heart and soul of some of the alltime greats, having bridged the gap between those artists and the latest generation of musicians. Stith is a multi-awardwinning artist of the Grand Jury of Music at the Richmond International Film and Music Festival in 2018 and 2019, a 2021 Critics Choice Award winner, and is currently a 2022 Soul Vision recipient.

His newly released EP on the Shockoe Records label, “The Soul Chronicles of Rodney Stith,” reached number two on the UK Soul Charts. Joining him tonight are fellow musicians Kenneth McDaniel (keyboards), Alvonté Jiggetts (drums/percussion), Charles Clayborne (bass guitar), Aaron Booker (guitar), and background vocalists Shawn Chappelle and Michael Prealeau.

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HE SAID, HE SAID: CULTURE

ON WHICH IDEAS DO THESE TWO MEN AGREE OR DISAGREE?

WEST WILLIAMS

Political Correctness

“We have witnessed similar developments in our schools and universities—increasing monitoring of viewpoints, disrespecting of those with whom one disagrees, and foreclosing of the common ground upon which we can listen and learn. The major culprit here is not ‘political correctness,’ a term coined by those who tend to trivialize the scars of others and minimize the suffering of victims while highlighting their own wounds. Rather the challenge is mustering the courage to scrutinize all forms of dogmatic policing of dialogue and to shatter all authoritarian strategies of silencing voices. We must respect the scars and wounds of each one of us—even if we are sometimes wrong (or right!).”

“I have tons of people who tell me they wouldn’t write certain things, that they wouldn’t say certain things, that they’re not comfortable even entering into a conversation on Black Lives Matter, on Israel, or any of these things, because they didn’t feel that they could even get into a conversation without enormous repercussions that would be detrimental, because they don’t possess the identity that gives them what I would say is the epistemological authority to even weigh in, and so it’s just a land mine. You must possess a particular identity to be able to participate in certain conversations or you face a backlash that comes at you so fast that you can’t even defend yourself against it. It penetrates your workplace.”

WEST WILLIAMS

Hip-Hop Music

“It’s the greatest tradition in the modern world, which is the Black musical tradition that came in a number of different forms, all the way to gospel and blues and jazz and rhythm and blues. Hip-hop for me is a moment within the very rich and very profound tradition of artistic creativity and spiritual fortitude.”

“In terms of their ethics, interests, values, and the lyrical content of their work, these rappers have very little that is enriching and lots that is actually very damaging to offer their listeners. They engage us in a catchy way so we admire them for it, and hunger after what they produce, but it’s empty calories at best.”

WEST WILLIAMS

Philosophy

“Philosophy is about trying to see differently, feel more deeply, act more courageously. The most terrifying, unsettling, unnerving question that sits at the center of what philosophy is, which is, ‘What does it mean to be human?’ That cuts deeper than skin pigmentation. It cuts deeper than sexual orientation. It cuts deeper than gender. It cuts deeper than national identity.”

“I’m kind of reconciled to being an autodidact kind of philosopher, the way my father was and the way that people were for many centuries before credentialism. I try to take seriously the idea that a philosopher is somebody who’s asking certain questions looking for meaning. And so I’m not an academic philosopher, but I’m still drawn to being a person who works with ideas in a very serious way.”

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West on Racism and White Supremacy HE SAID, HE SAID: RACE

“Black people in the United States differ from all other modern people owing to the unprecedented levels of unregulated and unrestrained violence directed at them. No other people have been taught systematically to hate themselves—psychic violence—reinforced by the powers of state and civic coercion—physical violence—for the primary purpose of controlling their minds and exploiting their labor for nearly four hundred years. The unique combination of American terrorism—Jim Crow and lynching—as well as American barbarism—slave trade and slave labor—bears witness to the distinctive American assault on black humanity. This vicious ideology and practice of white supremacy has left its indelible mark on all spheres of American life—from the prevailing crimes of Amerindian reservations to the discriminatory realities against Spanish-speaking Latinos to racial stereotypes against Asians. Yet the fundamental litmus test for American democracy—its economy, government, criminal justice system, education, mass media, and culture—remains: how broad and intense are the arbitrary powers used and deployed against black people. In this sense, the problem of the twenty-first century remains the problem of the color line.”

“RACE MATTERS” (1993, Updated 2001)

Williams on Racial Identity

“Of course, black and other non-white people cannot meaningfully renounce their ‘race’ if significant numbers of whites don’t join them; but neither can even the bestintentioned white people do this in a vacuum. We are a composite nation as well as a nation of composites, and—alt-right fantasies of an all-white ethnostate in Montana and the Pacific Northwest notwithstanding—we are stuck together. The racial resentments conjured and magnified by the 2016 election amount to a giant step in the wrong direction; it is impossible to deny that. But falling back into our narrow identities—even those forged by legitimate grievance and foisted upon us by the bigotry of others—only delivers a further victory to the opponents of a healthy society. To shift this dismal paradigm, thinking people of goodwill across the political spectrum are going to have to find a new vocabulary to move beyond abstract racial categorization and reflexive tribalism. Merely declaring race a construct won’t be enough...Racism rooted in centuries of skin bias is persistent and feels more urgent than just about anything else when you bear the brunt of it. It can make other conversations seem luxurious if not irrelevant. But the situation is not zero-sum: We can simultaneously resist bigotry and imagine a society that has outgrown the identities it preys on. In fact, we have to.”

“SELF-PORTRAIT IN BLACK AND WHITE: UNLEARNING RACE” (2019)

CANCEL CULTURE

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE “CANCELED”?

CANCEL (verb) : to withdraw one’s support for (someone, such as a celebrity, or something, such as a company) publicly and especially on social media

HOLDING INDIVIDUALS ACCOUNTABLE for transgressions of acceptable public behavior is nothing new. But in today’s hyperconnected world, accountability has taken new form.

The slang term “cancel” is believed to have originated from Chic’s 1981 song “Your Love Is Cancelled,” which compared a romantic break-up to the cancelation of a TV show. Since then, “canceling” has evolved to reference the act of culturally blocking an individual from a prominent platform or career after they have acted or spoken in a manner deemed unacceptable or offensive.

Over the past several years, cancel culture—the phenomenon around “cancelation”—has become a deeply contested idea within the nation’s political discourse. There have been countless debates over what it is and what it means, including whether it’s a way to hold people accountable for social slights, a tactic to punish others unjustly, or something in between.

Does calling people out on social media represent accountability or unjust punishment?

51% Hold people accountable for their actions

45% Punish people who didn’t deserve it

4% No answer

WHERE DO YOU STAND? When “cancelation” happens, do you believe that people are rushing to judgment, or are they trying to be helpful? Is it productive behavior to call out others on social media? Which is more important: a welcoming and safe online environment, or the ability to freely speak your mind? Does the threat of “cancelation” prevent open and honest dialogue?

He Said, He Said: Cancel Culture

WEST WILLIAMS

“I don’t believe in canceling anybody. I mean, Christians don’t believe in canceling people. Everybody can bounce back. I believe everybody’s a brother and sister, and they have the capacity to be changed and transformed.”

“What bothers me and worries me is that the world that we’re creating—and that’s enabled by the Twitter reality that takes hold—is one in which we’re not actually trying to make everybody as secure as the straight white man who used to be super-secure. We’re actually trying to make everybody as insecure as my [Black] father used to be, but everybody can catch it now.”

Source: Pew Research Center, April 2022

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MENDING WALLS

SPARKING CONVERSATION IN RICHMOND THROUGH ART

IN RESPONSE TO THE COMMUNITY UNREST FOLLOWING THE DEATH OF GEORGE FLOYD

, local artist Hamilton Glass saw an opportunity— not just for bold new art in Richmond’s public spaces, but also for deep, authentic, and sometimes uncomfortable conversations about race, social justice, and equity in our city.

In 2020, Glass reached out to fellow artists to collaborate on a new public art project called Mending Walls RVA. The project aims to advance social justice by connecting community members from diverse backgrounds and encouraging conversations that foster understanding, empathy, and healing.

“In these very different pieces of art we have very different points of view, and those points of view are a reflection of the very different experiences we have,” Glass said. “We, as humans, need to be empathetic to those different experiences to deepen our discussions about racial justice.”

Since its inception, nearly 50 artists have collaborated to create more than 20 murals across Richmond. The story of Mending Walls RVA was captured in the Emmy Award-winning “Mending Walls: The Documentary” (2022), which is currently available for streaming on VPM. For more information and a map of mural locations, visit www.mendingwallsrva.com .

WEST WILLIAMS

He Said, He Said: Art

“Art constitutes the very source from whence we come and it’s the very means for which we preserve our sanity and dignity. There’s a musicality of living and trying to be an artist of life as well as someone who appreciates those who are willing to give their big hearts, based on the mastery of craft and technique, to us so we can revel in their heart and in their soul.”

“For me, the purpose of art is always—more than to perform a kind of purity or to perform a kind of politics—it’s to allow us all to get outside of our own backyards and to step into the human community.”

“Voices of Perseverance” by Jason Ford & Ed Trask

“The Blackwell Drip” by Chris Visions & Heide Trepanier

“Finding Tomorrow” by Hamilton Glass & Eli McMullen

Mending Walls: A Healing Art Project

Later this spring, Mending Walls RVA will release a coffee table book titled “Mending Walls: The Conversations & Coffee Table Book.” It features stories from the artists about their conversations while working together to create murals and behind-the-scenes photographs. The book is currently available for pre-order at www.mendingwallsrva.com

“Together We Rise” by Noah Scalin & Alfonso Perez

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2022-2023 BOARD OF DIRECTORS

EXECUTIVECOMMITTEE

Ellen E. Spong, Chair

BlueEdgeCapitalLLC

Teresa Downs, Vice Chair

Altria*

Jonathan Brabrand, Treasurer TransactCapital*

Steve Otero, Secretary CapitalOne*

Laura E. Kottkamp, Member-at-large VCUSchoolofBusiness*

Robert K. Beckler, Immediate Past Chair TemperPack

COMMITTEECHAIRS

Steve Humble, Program VPM*

Celia Rafalko, Investment CaryStreetPartners

Kelly O’Keefe, Nominations & Governance BrandFederation*

Betty N. Crutcher, PhD, Education Subscriber/Supporter

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THERICHMONDFORUMSTAFF

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DIRECTORS

Makola M. Abdullah, PhD VirginiaStateUniversity*

Jimmy Chou SingleStone*

Regina J. Elbert DominionEnergy*

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Susan B. Horne LeadVirginia

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SPEECH & DEBATE

AS THE 2022 - 2023 SPEECH & DEBATE SEASON WINDS DOWN, we are proud to share that more than 500 students from nearly 30 teams competed this year!

This growth was made possible through generous funding from our sponsors and subscribers. Because of your support this season, Richmond Forum Speech & Debate Initiative (RFSDI) also hit the following impressive milestones:

We piloted one of the first incentive programs in the nation to encourage coaches to build teams and participate in the regional tournament circuit. School-issued speech & debate coach stipends rarely exceed $2,000 per year, so additional compensation is both needed and welcomed to support the highly dedicated work that successful coaching requires. Through this RFSDI program, coaches were offered a stipend to attend a regional coach’s clinic during the summer. They were awarded bonuses for hosting and attending tournaments, and for encouraging consistent competition from their students.

More than 275 students competed three or more times before winter break, building confidence and drive early in the season.

The RFSDI tournament circuit included eight local tournaments with over 750 competitors , giving students eight opportunities to compete before heading into the Virginia High School League (VHSL) season.

Our judges bank has grown to engage 84 community members and subscribers

Thank you, donors! As we continue to expand speech & debate programs into more schools in the Richmond region, your donations will become even more vital to RFSDI’s success.

James River High School Forensics Team Deep Run High School Forensics Team

Student Spotlight: Gwenlynn Smith

Gwenlynn Smith, a senior speech & debate competitor at Meadowbrook High School, was selected to introduce John Lithgow and Scott Wichmann at the sponsor reception before our March program on behalf of Singlestone, the evening’s Host Patron. Smith placed third in Poetry Interpretation at the state championship this spring. She plans to attend Christopher Newport University in the fall.

2023 National Speech & Debate Tournament

PHOENIX, ARIZONA

June 11-16

Big news is coming!

Big news is coming!

Good luck to this year’s qualifiers!

We look forward to sharing a BIG announcement with you in November when we kick off the 2023 - 2024 season.

NATIONAL HBCU SPEECH & DEBATE CHAMPIONSHIP

February 23-26, 2023 at Virginia State University

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE 120 STUDENTS WHO COMPETED this past February at the 2023 National HBCU Speech & Debate Championship, co-hosted by The Richmond Forum and Virginia State University. Students competed across 14 different events, with many students entering three or four individual events.

The overall sweepstakes winners and national champions were:

First Place: Howard University Speech & Debate

Second Place: Tennessee State University

Third Place: Texas Southern University

VSU’s Debate Society won the overall small school sweepstakes. Several VSU students placed in Impromptu Speaking, Interviewing, Informative Speaking, and Slam Poetry events.

Participating HBCUs

Bethune-Cookman University

Hampton University

Howard University

Morehouse College

Rust College

Spelman College

Talladega College

Tennessee State University

Texas Southern University

Virginia State University

Virginia Union University

Wiley College

Thank you to the 95 judges from the Richmond community who came to support these students. Volunteers arrived en masse from Capital One, Altria, the Boulé, the James River Valley Chapter of the Links, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, VCU, Dominion Energy, the community of RFSDI high school coaches, and The Richmond Forum Board of Directors. This event would not have been possible without your time, energy, presence, and support.

Howard University Speech & Debate

Makayla Reese, VSU

Virginia State University Debate Society

Left: Arnold Westbrook, VSU Debate coach, and The Richmond Forum Board Member Andrea Lynn White. Right: Community judges

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RICHMOND FORUM SPEAKERS

1987

January Ted Koppel

February Hodding Carter and Larry Speakes with Paul Duke

March General Brent Scowcroft with Diane Sawyer

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1988

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March George Will

April Art Buchwald

1989

January Sam Donaldson

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March William Buckley and Charles Rangel

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1990

January Paul Duke, Howard Fineman and Charles McDowell

February Frank Carlucci, George McGovern, William Proxmire and William Rusher with Bettina Gregory

March Mike Wallace

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1990–1991

October Chancellor Helmut Schmidt

January Admiral William Crowe, General Alexander Haig and Robert McFarlane with Edwin Newman

February H. Ross Perot

March Art Buchwald and Andy Rooney

April Captain James Lovell and Dr. Frank Drake with James Burke

1991–1992

October Barbara Walters

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March Dr. Marc Micozzi and Dr. Victor McKusick with Patricia Cornwell

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1992–1993

October Terry Anderson

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March Dr. Bill Cosby

April President Mikhail Gorbachev with Cokie Roberts

1993–1994

November Senator Warren Rudman, Lamar Alexander and Dr. Marvin Cetron with Chris Wallace

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1994–1995

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1995–1996

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January Neil Armstrong, Eugene Cernan and Dick Rutan with David Hartman

February Calvin Trillin

March Charles Kuralt

April David Gergen, Pierre Salinger, Sheila Tate and Bob Woodward with Ed Bradley

1996–1997

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February Doris Kearns Goodwin and David McCullough

March Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber with Sir David Frost

April Marcia Clark, Philip K. Howard, Dr. Rodney Smolla and Kym Worthy with Prof. Arthur Miller

1997–1998

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January Wynton Marsalis

February PM Shimon Peres

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April Peter Lynch

1998–1999

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January Robert Bennett and Dr. William Bennett with Tim Russert

February Harry S. Dent, Jr. and Lou Dobbs

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April Dr. Robert Ballard and Jean-Michel Cousteau

1999–2000

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January Todd Brewster and Peter Jennings

February John Krubski and Michael Connors with Ray Brady

March Archbishop Desmond Tutu

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2000–2001

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2001–2002

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February Dick Clark

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2002–2003

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2003–2004

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2004–2005

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January Michael Beschloss and Walter Isaacson

February Tim Russert

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2005–2006

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January Sherry Lansing

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2006–2007

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January Malcolm Gladwell and Alvin Toffler

February B.B. King

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2007–2008

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April David Brooks

2008–2009

November PM Tony Blair

January Reza Aslan and Jon Meacham

February Smokey Robinson with Daphne Maxwell Reid

March Terry Bradshaw and Howie Long

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2009–2010

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January Greg Mortenson

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2010–2011

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January Laura Bush

February Anderson Cooper

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2011–2012

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January Robert Gates

February Quincy Jones with Tim Reid

March Charles Krauthammer and Robert Reich with John Donvan

April Sir Ken Robinson and Rafe Esquith

2012–2013

November Platon

January Steven Spielberg, Tony Kushner and Doris Kearns Goodwin with Tim Reid

February President Bill Clinton

March Captain Mark Kelly and Gabrielle Giffords

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2013–2014

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2014–2015

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2015–2016

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2016–2017

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2017–2018

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2018–2019

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2019–2020

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2020–2021

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2022

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February Gloria Steinem with Zainab Salbi

March Erik Weihenmayer

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May Rhiannon Giddens

June Michelle Obama

2022–2023

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January Maria Ressa

February Ella Al-Shamahi

March John Lithgow

April Dr. Cornel West and Thomas Chatterton Williams

IT’S ALL IN THE PORTAL

Print tickets, donate your seats, watch again! subscribers.richmondforum.org

JOHN LITHGOW

AT THE RICHMOND FORUM

MARCH 18, 2023

THE RED CARPET WAS ROLLED OUT—quite literally—for John Lithgow’s program, “The World According to Lithgow,” at The Richmond Forum on March 18, 2023. After making a Hollywood entrance at the Altria Theater, Lithgow delighted Forum subscribers with “a breezy, offhand version of [the prolific actor’s] own history,” largely centered around his experience with and advocacy for arts education.

This engagement at The Forum was the first time Lithgow set foot in Richmond, Virginia, but it was not his first time getting to know the capital city. In 1976, Lithgow starred alongside Meryl Streep in a production of William Gillette’s Richmond-set play, “Secret Service,” as part of a Broadway festival celebrating America’s bicentennial. “The play’s suspense was derived from the fact that Captain Thorne—my role—was, in fact, a spy for the Union. When I received an invitation to deliver tonight’s speech, a tiny, irrational part of me felt a rush of relief: All is forgiven! The citizens of Richmond have welcomed me back!”

Lithgow dove into his early childhood years on the road with his thespian family. “From as far back as I could remember, I wanted to be an artist,” he said. In the late 1950s, the Akron, Ohio public school district where Lithgow spent his ninth and tenth-grade years heavily invested in arts education. He began each day by exploring a wide range of visual media in his studio arts elective—an experience he credits

with developing his keen social and intellectual skills. “There is no doubt in my mind that my arts education made me a far better student.”

Following the time he spent with his beloved teachers, Jane Thomas and Fran Robinson, Lithgow’s enthusiasm for the arts continued to grow as he pursued college and a decades-long acting career. His desire to share his love of the arts with his own children led him to create a series of children’s albums, books, and live concerts. Over the past ten years, that series has become an “ardent and serious-minded public [advocacy] for arts in education.”

John Lithgow delivered a heart-felt reflection on the important role that arts education has played throughout his life and career.

BREATHTAKINGLYHUMAN—AMAN WITHMULTIPLETALENTSHUMBLY SHARINGHISOWNHUMANITY WITHDEEPHUMILITYASTHOUGH HEWEREONEOFUS...APROGRAM ANDAMANTOREMEMBERFORA LONG,LONGTIME.

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In 2018, Lithgow joined and began serving as cochair of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences’ Commission on the Arts. He highlighted the work of the Commission and its significant impact on the funding of arts education in California’s public schools. Lithgow said that he urged his fellow Commissioners to “plot ways to make an impact, make a difference, make a scene, put on a show, [and] attract attention.” After much prodding, a new avenue for advocacy was born.

Before a captive Forum audience, Lithgow announced “Art Happens Here,” a one-hour PBS documentary coming soon to Southern California public television. The show follows Lithgow as he steps beyond his comfort zone and returns to the classroom, trying his hand at ceramics, screen-printing, cultural dance, and vocal jazz. He is hopeful that the program will eventually air on PBS stations countrywide and “nudge the nation towards a commitment to all the visual and performing arts in public education.”

Lithgow gave a final “thank you” to arts educators everywhere—including Mrs. Thomas and Miss Robinson—for enhancing students’ creativity, love of learning, empathy, sense of identity, and joy. In an act of true showmanship, Lithgow invited the audience to channel their inner children as he concluded his speech with a rousing musical rendition of his 2013 picture book “Never Play Music Right Next to the Zoo.” Enhancing joy, indeed.

A highlight for many Forum-goers was the delightful banter between Lithgow and Q&A moderator Scott Wichmann, a local actor and director.

From top: 1) Lithgow visited the Student Room to talk with local middle and high school students. 2) Tom McInerney of Genworth, the Lead Patron for the evening, introduced Lithgow. 3) Desirée Roots provided musical entertainment. 4) Lithgow with the backdrop of the original illustration he made of himself sitting atop the Altria Theater. 5) During intermission, Lithgow stopped by the Simulcast Room and sang “Happy Birthday” to a lucky audience member!

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UN CeN sOrED

One of the most original and important American philosophical minds of our time. Champion of tolerance and open-mindedness. He may disagree but won’t denigrate.

What we have in common is uncommon

Because just like Dr. Cornel West, we recognize that inclusion and excellence don’t compete. As a result, VCU enrolls more underrepresented minority students than our peer institutions and graduates them in higher numbers.

VCU. A world unlike any other.

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