The Commonwealth February/March 2019

Commonwealth SESAME STREET The

THE MAGAZINE OF THE COMMONWEALTH CLUB OF CALIFORNIA

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2019

Changing Children’s Lives Around the World The Ace of Cups • Rep. Jackie Speier • Jesse Jackson The Pitcher & the Dictator • Jeffrey Rosen

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INSIDE14 THIS ISSUE 32

Editor’s Desk

Jackie Speier

The puppet government

Surviving Jonestown

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18

News and insights from the Club.

The American promise

The Commons

Two-month Calendar What’s happening at the Club in February and March 2019

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Jesse Jackson

Program Listings Detailed listings of our events.

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22

Course-correcting rock history

African-American baseball stars in the Dominican Republic

First Word: Ace of Cups

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Sesame Street

How Muppets are changing children’s lives around the world

The Pitcher and the Dictator

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Late Breaking Events

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Last Word: Jeffrey Rosen

Insight

The future of the Supreme Court

By Gloria Duffy

On the Cover: The Cookie Monster Photo from: The Public Domain

On This Page: Sherrie Westin & Jillian Manus

Photo by: Sarah Gonzalez

We now have the neuroscience to prove that [children’s] brain architecture is changed by constant exposure to trauma or traumatic events, and that is something that we can reverse if you reach them early enough and if you were providing that nurturing care.

—SHERRIE WESTIN (LEFT)

February/March 2019 - Volume 113, No.1

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2019

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Photo by Petty Officer Chad J. McNeeley, U.S. Navy

The Puppet Government

L

ong before Monsters, Inc. showed us that monsters could be lovable, “Sesame Street” was using furry monsters to entertain and teach children important lessons. The children’s television program turns 50 years old in 2019—its first episode aired November 10, 1969—and we learned from a recent Inforum program that the show is bigger and better than ever, and that it is doing far more than teaching kids to count and spell.

Sesame Workshop executive Sherrie Westin came to the Club in late October to talk about the program’s worldwide reach. Present in 150 countries—including many locally produced and customized editions—“Sesame Street” has partnered with some deep-pocketed organizations and companies to allow it to assist children in dealing with some of the biggest challenges they might face. Refugees, a parent’s incarceration, personal hygiene—all these and more are dealt with on a level that little ones can handle. With monsters.

The photo above is from a 2010 Pentagon preview of the PBS special “When Families Grieve.” That’s Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen (on the right, in case you weren’t sure) with “Sesame Street”

characters Jesse and Rosita. “When Families Grieve” featured the stories of children who were dealing with the loss of a parent.

“Sesame Street” shows just how effective it can be to communicate with children through fictional characters. It’s longevity confirms its success. (Another long-lived children’s show, CBS’ “Captain Kangaroo,” featured someone who was neither a captain nor a kangaroo, but kids accepted him nonetheless for nearly 30 years.)

It is easy to become so focused on political crises of the day that we don’t always see some of the important work being done around us. We’re proud to feature “Sesame Street” on the cover and to share the stories of its far-flung successes.

We’ve also got a couple different kind of monsters this issue. Averell “Ace” Smith tells what happens when you’re the world’s best baseball player but you sign up to play for the team run by a monstrous political dictator.

Jackie Speier relates the harrowing events in Jonestown that occurred 40 years ago and how she barely escaped with her life.

There’s all that and more in this issue. Dive right in; it won’t scare you.

JOHN Z I P P E R E R VIC E PRE SIDE NT OF ME DIA & ED I T O RI AL

TALK OF THE CLUB

Left: Illustration celebrating KQED’s Jo Anne Wallace at her retirement party. Right: Leaders from The Commonwealth Club’s member-led forums gather for a holiday party.

MLF photo: Courtesy Carol Fleming

Friends in High Places

S

ome friends of the Club will be playing key roles in local and state government.

California’s new governor, Gavin Newsom, has appointed Lenny Mendonca as his chief economic and business advisor and the head of the state’s Office of Business Development.

Mendonca is a retired senior partner of McKinsey & Company, a lecturer at Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business, and a longtime Commonwealth Club Board of Governors member.

San Francisco Mayor London Breed has named former Club programs producer Judson True to the newly created job of director of housing delivery, a position she

established to speed up the permitting process for new housing in the city.

Jo Anne, on a stellar career. And best wishes in your new one—expert radio consultant.

Radio Royalty

A Social Club

How do you follow up a decades-long career at the top of public radio? If you’re Jo Anne Wallace, you “retire” and then continuing helping others succeed.

Wallace recently retired as KQED Radio’s vice president and general manager. Before leading KQED’s successful adoption of a news-and-public-affairs format, she had key roles at NPR, including bringing “Car Talk” and “Fresh Air” to nationwide audiences. At KQED, she also oversaw the Club’s weekly program (Fridays at 9 p.m.). Congratulations,

Shortly before Christmas, leaders from the Club’s volunteer-run memberled forums (MLFs) gathered at one of their homes for some holiday cheer. The celebrants included (left to right in the photo above) Elizabeth Carney (of the Business and Leadership MLF), Kalena Gregory (Reading Californians MLF), Patrick O’Reilly (Psychology MLF), Norma Walden (MLF assistant), Carol Fleming (Board of Governors member and chair of the MLFs), Bill Grant (Health & Medicine MLF), Linda Calhoun (International Relations MLF), Club staffer Billy Bean (as Santa), Gerald Harris (Science & Technology MLF), and Eric Siegel (Personal Growth MLF).

In the Farmer Gallery

Left: Recollected (moving on). Right: Artist Ryan Farley.

Art and photo: Ryan Farley

Now showing through March 29 in the Club’s Farmer Gallery is “Afterthoughts,” an exhibit by printmaker Ryan Farley.

The work included in “Afterthoughts” is “inspired by moments of locking eyes with others in passing and the afterthoughts that follow,” Farley says. “When I encounter these moments, I briefly wonder about the other; what is their life like? Would we get along?”

Ryan Farley holds an MFA in printmaking from Indiana University, Bloomington. His artworks exhibit both and internationally, with his most recent work having been accepted into the Premio Combat Prize 2018 finalist’s exhibition in Livorno, Italy.

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2019

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LEADERSHIP OF THE COMMONWEALTH CLUB CLUB OFFICERS Board Chair Evelyn S. Dilsaver Vice Chair James Strother Secretary Dr. Jaleh Daie Treasurer John R. Farmer President & CEO Dr. Gloria C. Duffy

BOARD OF GOVERNORS Robert E. Adams John F. Allen Scott Anderson Dan Ashley Massey J. Bambara Dr. Mary G. F. Bitterman** Harry E. Blount John L. Boland Maryles Casto**

Charles M. Collins Mary B. Cranston** Susie Cranston Dr. Kerry P. Curtis Dorian Daley Alecia DeCoudreaux Lee Dutra Joseph I. Epstein* Jeffrey A. Farber Dr. Carol A. Fleming Leslie Saul Garvin Paul M. Ginsburg Hon. James C. Hormel Mary Huss Julie Kane Lata Krishnan John Leckrone Dr. Mary Marcy Lenny Mendonca Anna W.M. Mok Mauree Jane Perry Bruce Raabe

Kausik Rajgopal Skip Rhodes* Bill Ring Martha Ryan George M. Scalise Charlotte Mailliard Shultz George D. Smith, Jr. Dr. Marc Spencer James Strother Hon. Tad Taube Charles Travers Kimberly Twombly-Wu Don Wen Dr. Colleen B. Wilcox Brenda Wright Jed York Mark Zitter ADVISORY BOARD Karin Helene Bauer Hon. William Bradley Dennise M. Carter

Steven Falk Rev. Paul J. Fitzgerald, S.J. Amy Gershoni Jacquelyn Hadley Heather Kitchen Amy McCombs Don J. McGrath Hon. William J. Perry Hon. Barbara Pivnicka Hon. Richard Pivnicka Hon. Ellen O’Kane Tauscher Nancy Thompson Dr. Ruth A. Shapiro PAST BOARD CHAIRS AND PRESIDENTS Dr. Mary G. F. Bitterman ** Hon. Shirley Temple Black*† J. Dennis Bonney* John Busterud* Maryles Casto** Hon. Ming Chin*

Mary B. Cranston** Joseph I. Epstein * Dr. Joseph R. Fink * William German * Rose Guilbault** Claude B. Hutchison Jr. * Dr. Julius Krevans* Anna W.M. Mok** Richard Otter* Joseph Perrelli* Toni Rembe* Victor J. Revenko* Skip Rhodes* Renée Rubin * Richard Rubin** Robert Saldich** Connie Shapiro * Nelson Weller * Judith Wilbur * Dennis Wu*

TALK OF THE CLUB

* Past President

Remembering Ray Taliaferro

T

he Club lost a beloved member of its community at the end of 2018. Raphael “Ray” Taliaferro, 79, former KGO talk show host and Commonwealth Club Board and Advisory Board member, died on or before December 2 in Paducah, Kentucky, after disappearing from Brookport, Illinois on November 10.

The Club held a memorial service in honor of Taliaferro on January 12. Former KGO news anchor Rosie Allen, former Mayors Willie Brown and Frank Jordan, Taliaferro’s family and many others spoke about the late media legend at the event.

According to Club Vice President Nicholas Leon, “Ray was a very friendly, sincere guy—a real gentleman.” Leon described Taliaferro as a soft-spoken, unassuming person who “spent time sharing with me his stories.”

In addition to hosting a TV show, chairing the San Francisco chapter of the NAACP and serving as president of the San Francisco Arts Commission, Taliaferro famously met the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in 1964, leading a gospel choir at Cow Palace at King’s request. Leon said this was one of Taliaferro’s favorite stories. “That was the thing that struck me the most—that he came across as

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Ray Taliaferro

being very proud of,” Leon said.

In 2011, Taliaferro was inducted into the National Association of Black Journalists Hall of Fame at the Newseum in Washington, D.C., an honor he shared with Ed Bradley, correspondent for “60 Minutes,” and Eugene Robinson, columnist for The Washington Post. Taliaferro, a well-respected leader in the community, was also known for his work as president of the local chapter of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. He served as a broadcaster for more than 40 years, most prominently as KGO’s 1–5 a.m.

“Early Show” host.

Others who knew him expressed equal sadness in hearing about Taliaferro’s death.

George Dobbins, the Club’s vice president of programs, described Taliaferro as “a treasure.”

“In a brutal world, Ray was . . . a lovely man

and a pleasure to know and work with.”

The Club’s president and CEO, Dr. Gloria Duffy, noted that Taliaferro was “an active member of our Board and Advisory Board for over 20 years. He was always ready to assist in recruiting speakers he knew, and to moderate programs and conduct interviews. In fact, he conducted the last interview with Walter Cronkite, at the Club, in 2004.”

Taliaferro first went missing while visiting a property with his wife in southern Illinois.

Taliaferro, who reportedly had been suffering from dementia, was later found about a mile from where he disappeared.

Those interested in making a donation in Taliaferro’s memory can do so through the Dementia Society of America: dementiasociety. org/raphael-v-taliaferro-sr.

2019 Distinguished Citizen Award Gala & Annual Dinner John Hope Bryant Founder & CEO of Operation Hope

Photo by: Timothy Greenfield-Sanders

Madeleine Albright Former United States Secretary of State

William & Susan Oberndorf

Oberndorf Foundation

Friday, May 17 Cocktail Reception at The San Francisco Ferry Building Dinner & Conversation at The Commonwealth Club Headquarters For more information contact Kate Steffy 415-597-6737 or go to commonwealthclub.org/gala

First Word

WITH MARY ELLEN SIMPSON

Photo by Susana Millman

Course Correcting Rock History AN EVENING CELEBRATING THE ACE OF CUPS

I

was over in the motel room [at the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival] and through the open window, I heard this sound coming through [and] I said “We’ve got to get over there right now.”

The motel room was nearby to the venue. So Mary Gannon and I rushed over, and it was like, Jimi Hendrix, and I couldn’t believe it. I mean, I was just stunned to hear him play. I learned a whole new way to play barred chords, because he put his thumb over the top of the guitar, instead of the way I had learned.

The other thing was, I started taking lessons when I was about 12. It was folk music, and my guitar teacher always said that when you are done with your playing for the hour or two hours or whatever, always put your guitar away. You know, take good care of it.

So when, at the end of Jimi’s set, when he put his guitar on fire, I thought, “Oh, my God! He’s flipped out. They’re going to have to come and take him away.” [Laughter.]

I know that sounds absurd—now—but I was young. I just could not believe it.

—“Course Correcting Rock History: An Evening Celebrating the Ace of Cups,” November 9, 2018

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SESAME STREET CHANGING CHILDREN’S LIVES AROUND THE WORLD

SHERRIE WESTIN President of Global Impact and Philanthropy, Sesame Workshop In conversation with

JILLIAN MANUS

Managing Partner, Structure Capital

Program Photos by Sarah Gonzalez

From the October 30, 2018, Inforum program in San Francisco “Sesame Street: Changing Children’s Lives Around the World.” This program was underwritten

by The Canet Foundation.

JILLIAN MANUS: I once said to Sherrie, “If I ever come back to this world, I would like to come as one of three things: Either a dolphin, because they’re always smiling; an elephant, because they remember everything; or a Muppet, because everybody loves them.”

SHERRIE WESTIN: I see you more as a Muppet.

MANUS: It’s always been really amazing and intriguing to me why I’m not the only one who thinks that. I’m not the only one who connects to puppets. Is that what started you on your journey 20 years ago? Is that how long you’ve been with “Sesame Street”?

WESTIN: It is. I’ve been there 20 years. I don’t know that I was chasing Muppets. But I came to Sesame Workshop because I wanted so much to focus on young children.

I love the Muppets. I’m too old to have grown up on “Sesame Street,” I’m so sorry to say, but your point is so well-taken, because I’ve traveled the world with the Muppets. I have to tell you, that appeal is universal. You can be in the middle of a refugee camp and children just delight to meet Elmo. It is a very special thing.

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MANUS: It’s because children trust the Muppets?

WESTIN: Yes. MANUS: They trust the Muppets, but I’ve also realized, and I’m sure you all have too, that children will open up to a Muppet.

They’ll feel safe with them. Is that part of this brand that’s lasted for 50 years now?

WESTIN: “Sesame Street” turns 50 next year. It started in 1969.

I do think there is a real magic to the power of the Muppets. I often think about what is it that makes them so incredibly appealing?

I think it’s a couple of things. One, Elmo is a little, red, furry monster. He doesn’t look any more Asian than he does American, than he does African. So there is this universal appeal.

Children can relate to him. The other thing is each of those characters is written to a very precise age. Elmo is three-and-a-half. He’s always three-and-a-half. Every year we celebrate Elmo’s birthday in February. When we celebrate his birthday, he’s three-and-a-half.

So much goes into “Sesame Street,” not just from the writers, producers, but the educators, the content advisers. Elmo will always be three-and-a-half, and he will think and talk and relate as a three-and-a-half year old.

I actually think that’s why Elmo is the most popular Muppet with the youngest children.

They tend to gravitate immediately to Elmo because I believe they can relate to him more.

The other thing we do very deliberately is make sure, particularly in other countries when we’re making local productions of

“Sesame,” is we create characters with similar back stories, we make sure they reflect the culture of that particular country because we do believe that children learn best when they can see themselves on screen and when they can identify with these characters. Then these puppeteers—these Muppeteers—are just enormously talented. When they bring Elmo or Abby to life—you have the Muppeteer right here [but the child focuses on the Muppet]. We just had a little girl on the set last Friday who has Down syndrome, Bitty. And Bitty wanted to meet Abby. It’s her favorite. Leslie—who is the puppeteer for Abby, who’s the most gifted, spirited, I mean huge heart—she went in to meet Bitty, and Bitty is talking to Abby. You would never guess there’s this woman on the floor. Leslie is just brilliant and so special, but Bitty never takes her eyes off Abby.

MANUS: I’d love you to just back up a bit, because what we don’t understand [is] the depth and the breadth of the Sesame Workshop. It is another huge reach past the television program for which we’ve all connected with as a parent, as a child, or as both. But it is shocking to me that you have such a broad touch, if you will, and people don’t know that.

WESTIN: It is unfortunately, you know, not widely understood. But, listen. I think, we’re in some ways a victim of our own success because “Sesame Street,” the U.S. television show, is so incredibly successful and now, I’m sure everyone in here knows “Sesame Street.”

So you feel like you know “Sesame Street.”

You may not realize we’re a nonprofit and always have been. You wouldn’t necessarily know that we’re in 150 countries, and I think what people understand least is that in many of those countries, it’s not the U.S. version of the show. We take the same model and we go in, and we create local characters. We find the right partners. We’re creating the educational curriculum to meet the needs of the children in that country, reflecting their culture, their language, and you may recognize some Muppets—Elmo may be in South Africa but he’s also there with Kami, who is South African. I think if you saw it, you would recognize it as “Sesame Street,” but it would be completely indigenous.

MANUS: Let me unpack one thing that I’d never really understood. I understand about myself, but perhaps, not in general. I feel that sometimes I actually turn from the news to “Sesame Street.”

WESTIN: That’s good.

MANUS: A lot of puppets on one and Muppets on the other. We won’t even go there. I do that because I relate to the show. Even if it’s just me watching, it makes me feel good.

I find it incredibly funny. I think that that’s the magic, that it’s two lenses. It’s a parent and child, right?

WESTIN: This is such a good point. I could tell you all these things you don’t know probably about “Sesame Street.” But one of the other things that I think makes “Sesame Street” so special—and I give Joan Ganz Cooney, the woman who created “Sesame Street” in 1969, such huge credit for her prescience—is first of all, she decided to focus on the early years, which at that time, there was only Mister Rogers. There was not educational television for young children.

There were cartoons. This was an all-new medium. It was a radical experiment to see if television could be used to teach.

But she focused on those early years, which we now know is where we have the greatest return on investment, and we have the science to prove it. She also set out very deliberately to engage adults as well as children. The reason she brought in Jim Henson and created the Muppets, the reason she had celebrities, musicians, humor, and parodies is because she said she believed the learning would be greater if an adult were watching with the child, that the learning could go offscreen after you’d watched the show to-

gether, and that was just brilliant.

Today we also have the science to prove that that is in fact how a child learns and the most important thing. When we’re doing work around the world, particularly in the developing world with more vulnerable children, when we know the most important thing for young children—particularly if they’ve experienced trauma or [in our work] with the children of refugees—is engagement with a caring adult. So the “Sesame” content we create and the materials we create are designed to promote that engagement between parent and adult, to become a catalyst and a tool. That is what gives us such a huge advantage there, because it does appeal to the adults, to the parent, to the caregiver as well as the child.

MANUS: I think parents use this, it’s very empowering. They make them feel like they can provide something for their child even if they’re illiterate themselves, correct? Even if they don’t have those educational tools, it somehow almost elevates them in their child’s eyes that they’re able also to learn with the child, am I right?

WESTIN: Absolutely.

Listen, again, people don’t know a lot of the work we do in particularly vulnerable communities, and we work with direct service providers. We have a program called Sesame Street in Communities, and you have to think beyond just “Sesame” and television. But that’s something where we create content around tough issues, and “Sesame” is uniquely able to look at tough issues through the lens of a child and to help give parents the right tools and language to address those issues. So when we are doing that, a lot of the parents and particularly young, single parents, families in poverty, they’re less intimidated because it’s “Sesame” content and we are giving them the tools and the way to address really tough issues; a parent being incarcerated, a parent being deployed.

MANUS: How about the homeless situation? This is a very big problem here in San Francisco, actually throughout the country but it’s really every time we walk out . . . it rests on our heart.

It’s really, really sad to see a lot of families who live in cars. There are children who are humiliated. They can’t go to school because they’re so embarrassed. The parents are so embarrassed, and it is one traumatic event for a child after another. I work a lot with the homeless, as you know.

WESTIN: I know you do.

MANUS: I’ve been homeless, as you know.

So I really do care and am very deeply concerned for these children. It’s one trauma after another. You said something very interesting [about] this Sesame Street in Communities, this new program which I just want you to go into a bit deeper, because we’re really struggling with this here in San Francisco. If we better understood the children caught up in the crosshairs seemingly in this whole world of every big challenge—you said something very interesting to me, that we can actually almost reset and reverse trauma in children

within the first five years.

WESTIN: If you reach children in the early years, yes. The homelessness issue, you and I have talked about. I know how passionate you are about that issue and how much you have done, which I think is so admirable.

We’ve been focused on homeless for the last six months or so, and I’ll explain how we got there. I’m so struck by it, too. You know, 1 in 18 children under six experiences homelessness in the United States. That’s huge.

MANUS: That’s ridiculous. That’s shameful.

WESTIN: It’s 1.2 million children under the age of six. But I do think you’re right that I need to go back a minute to explain what I mean by Sesame Street in Communities, so that you have a better understanding.

For years, “Sesame” has looked at particularly pressing issues affecting children and figuring out what could we do to help, [for example] when childhood obesity became much more significant, we created something called Healthy Habits for Life, and it was on-air and it was separate initiatives where we partnered and we created materials [that] were distributed through WIC for women in poverty. We’ve done this for years. When we realized we were at the height of the deployment in the military, we realized there were no materials or resources for families with very young children who were facing deployment and multiple deployment. We created an incredible program distributed through military bases [to] over 6 million of these kids; DVDs, materials, a website, USO

tours for children and families which never happened, and it was for helping a child cope with deployment. Elmo’s dad had to leave for a very long time. Imagine watching that with your parent, with all sorts of resources; when a parent didn’t come, when a parent came home changed.

One after another, this led to these initiatives. So the reason I give you this background is that led to helping children who have a parent who’s incarcerated, because the military literally shared with us one of the issues they dealt with when people came back from deployment. Each time we learn, we would raise the money, we would create new initiatives. What happened about two years ago is we realized we have all of these incredible initiatives and resources, how do we make them more evergreen? Because you launch them, you have partners—we’ve done a huge initiative around autism that I’m so proud of with the first-ever autistic Muppet, Julia.

MANUS: Julia.

WESTIN: When we had all of these programs, we thought we really needed to figure out how to get them in the hands of the families and children who need them most.

That’s when we came up with the idea of Sesame Street in Communities. Sesame Street in Communities is basically a model where we have a created all of these assets around all of these different topics and tough issues along with basic literacy, numeracy, health, and we have started partnering with direct service providers. So both at a national level and on a local level, we become partners with Nurse-Family Partnership, with Head Start, with Children’s Place, with different organizations, and train them, provide them with these tools—both digital assets, mobile, print materials—so they can use them to reach the children and families they are reaching out to.

We’re working with those direct service providers, with those social workers, with those organi-

zations that have the direct touch. But it’s also given us a huge opportunity to figure out what do they need more of. Everything we do, we do because we’ve listened, we’ve learned, we’ve researched and that’s how the homelessness [efforts] came about. In our most recent advisory, working with these community service providers and finding out what do you need more of, it was they needed more content to help children overcome trauma, the instances of children facing adverse childhood experiences is so enormous. So we started creating trauma materials to help children and those caregivers know the best way to help a child overcome trauma. Then it was very specific. We need more to help children who are experiencing homelessness. We need more to help children in foster care. We need more to help children who [have] a parent who has substance abuse or addiction with the opioid crisis. Those are three new areas where we’re creating entire content initiatives.

We’re going to launch the homelessness initiative in the first week of December. I’m really excited about this, because we create materials that help de-stigmatize, so a child who is experiencing homelessness may be able to see themselves in a Muppet. I don’t want to spoil all of it, but let’s just say that there were a Muppet that happens to— MANUS: Fall on hard times?

WESTIN: Yes. That allows us to help children feel less alone and there’s so many important messages in that—how we define it, how you help children understand it’s not their fault, it’s nothing they’ve done wrong, that the sense of home doesn’t have to be physical. It’s where your family is. There’s so many things we’ve learned from

advisers that we can do with this initiative as well as real, practical materials.

Again, whether we’re working in refugee camps or whether we’re working through partners and direct service providers here in the U.S. to reach vulnerable children, in some way, the needs are the same. Whether a child is experiencing homelessness or whether a child has a parent who’s incarcerated—you know, any number of these traumatic experiences—what they need is more deliberate engagement with a caring, enlightened adult, nurturing care, and you can reverse the negative effect if you reach children in those early years with this kind of intervention.

The other thing again, I’m sure a lot of people here understand that, but I mentioned the brain science earlier, a child who experiences multiple traumas—who experiences traumatic events, things that happened more often in poverty—in these circumstances, it literally affects their brain development. We now have the neuroscience to prove that their brain architecture is changed by constant exposure to trauma or traumatic events and that is something that we can reverse if you reach them early enough and if you were

providing that nurturing care.

MANUS: You have forged some really strong partnerships. How does that work? What is a perfect partner for you?

WESTIN: A perfect partner for “Sesame” is an organization that shares our values, is like-minded but has different skill sets that complement ours. We chose IRC [International Rescue Committee] to work with in refugee response.

We work with an organization called World Vision. This is another example. We created a Muppet called Raya. Raya is a little global health ambassador, and it was our first funding from the Gates Foundation. Raya was created for India, Bangladesh and Nigeria where we had productions. We were able to test content. It was basically to teach water sanitation and hygiene. Those were such important life-changing behavior changes and our little Muppets, we can teach letters and numbers, we can teach behavior change, we can model for young children.

So we did a lot of research on what’s the most effective way to persuade children to wear sandals to the latrine, to poop in the latrine. That’s “Sesame” language. [Laughter.]

To wash your hands with soap and water.

So we created great content, this fantastic character from the Muppets. Then, when World Vision came to us, this is a direct services organization, they said, “Would you be willing to let us take your content for Raya and work with us to adapt for countries in Sub-Saharan Africa,” places we don’t have a production. We have a production in South Africa, but we’re not in smaller countries throughout Sub-Saharan Africa.

It was ideal, because we started creating the content, adapting it for those countries and their languages, and now World Vision takes Raya, and all that content, they’re the world’s largest organization in terms of supplying actual clean water. But they said, “We go into these communities. We build wells.

We provide water. But there’s no education to explain to them that you need soap and water to wash your hands, that you need these sanitation and health messages.”

They are a great partner, because they’re doing what we can’t do, but we’re making them more effective in what they do—whether it’s IRC, World Vision, or the local service providers we’re working with in the U.S.

Become Part of the Process Join us for our next MLF Planning Meeting The Commonwealth Club’s volunteer-driven Member-led Forums (MLFs) want your help to plan programs.

Upcoming planning meetings: International Relations - February 12th

Health & Medicine - February 27th

Personal Growth - February 12th & March 27th

Science & Technology - March 13th

Arts - February 20th

Asia Pacific Affairs - March 14th

To register go to www.commonwealthclub.org/events

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2019

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Photos by James Meinerth

REP. JACKIE SPEIER JONESTOWN, COURAGE AND FIGHTING BACK “The NBC reporter . . . hand[ed] us this note and my heart sank, because I just knew that everything that we had feared was true, that people were being held against their will. So then the next plan was, How do we make sure they get out?”

JACKIE SPEIER

U.S. Representative for District 14 (D-CA); Author, Undaunted: Surviving Jonestown, Summoning Courage, and Fighting Back In conversation with

CHERYL JENNINGS

Television News Reporter, ABC 7 CHERYL JENNINGS: Jackie Speier was 28 when she joined congressman Leo Ryan’s delegation to rescue defectors from cult leader Jim Jones’ Peoples Temple in Jonestown, Guyana. Congressman Ryan tragically was killed on the airstrip tarmac, Ms. Speier was shot five times at point-blank range.

There are a lot of young people in our audience who would not even know this story.

The shooting in Jonestown, and the fact that you were shot and left for dead 40 years ago.

So for those who don’t know the story at all, why were you in Jonestown?

JACKIE SPEIER: Congressman Ryan was what I call an exponential legislator. He didn’t take people’s word for anything; he

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THE COMMO N WE AL TH

wanted to find out for himself. So early in his career, after the Watts riots, he went down to South Central L.A. and taught as a substitute teacher. He was a teacher by profession. He had himself incarcerated at Folsom Prison to look at the criminal justice system and spent 10 days there.

He then decided that he wanted to go to Guyana to the Peoples Temple to find out whether or not American citizens were being held against their will.

JENNINGS: And for people who don’t know where Peoples Temple is— SPEIER: So the Peoples Temple was a church led by the Reverend Jim Jones. It’s church [was located] here in San Francisco, one in L.A.; some 2,000 [congregants] here in the San Francisco Bay Area. Many of them were young adults, and they had been captured by his commitment to bringing African Americans and whites together and living in a socialist environment, pooling your resources.

So it was under those circumstances that many of the parents of these young people had contacted [Ryan], concerned about their well-being. Then there were defectors of the Peoples Temple, who had been part of the Peoples Temple [and had] been beaten up

emotionally, physically, sexually, who had left and come out and told their stories.

So it was on the heels of all of that, coupled with the fact that Marshall Kilduff at the San Francisco Chronicle did an investigative piece on Jim Jones that was not at all flattering.

The San Francisco Chronicle was loath to print it. So he took it to New West magazine, and it was published there.

Before it was published, Jim Jones’ society was going to get out of town, and that’s when he took 900 of his followers to Jonestown, Guyana. He had been building this commune for a couple of years before the large contingent went down there.

But what was really sad about it was that he had so ingratiated himself to the political powers-that-be here in the city that they all looked the other way. Even when the complaints started to spread, law enforcement and city officials took no action.

JENNINGS: But one of the reasons they took no action was he was very good at getting out the vote.

SPEIER: That’s correct. At a moment’s notice he could create a crowd for a rally, if you needed precinct walking, he would release all his members of his congregation to go out and walk precincts, and he was credited

with helping then-mayor George Moscone, who was being recalled, [defeat] that recall.

JENNINGS: So he was quite powerful; he had influence.

SPEIER: He wanted to be appointed to something significant within the administration. He was offered a position at the Human Relations Commission. He was not interested in that, and he parlayed it so that he could become the chair of the housing authority in San Francisco. Then he would always have a number of his followers in the audience at the meetings and applaud every time he said anything.

JENNINGS: So he stacked the audience.

SPEIER: It was a bit of a bizarre nature, even then.

So with that backdrop, that’s why Congressman Ryan went to Jonestown.

JENNINGS: When he made that decision, you really didn’t want him to go. You had a bad feeling about it?

SPEIER: I did, because I had been listening to all these audio tapes of interviews that had been done by the district staff with some of the defectors. They were families, there were young people, and it didn’t sound good. If you’re talking about physical abuse, sexual abuse, armed guards, shooting planes out of the sky, it’s unnerving. I was in the process of buying a condominium in Arlington, Virginia, and I literally had written into the contract that it was null and void unless I survived the church at Jonestown.

JENNINGS: You also wrote a note to your mom and dad?

SPEIER: I did. I actually did not uncover that until I was at the end of the book, when I was asked by my editor to come up with some pictures. So there’s a tub of papers in my garage from my parent’s home. I thought, Well, maybe I’ll look through there. And I look through there and there was this letter, this little note that I had written them in which I said that I was very happy with the love that I had had, my life was complete.

And then at the bottom, because I was raised by very frugal parents, I indicated that I had a $1,000 life insurance policy with the credit union. Very practical, right? Just in case.

JENNINGS: How was it when you got there?

SPEIER: It’s a very deep jungle environment, but all of a sudden you’re in a dump truck arriving there and you see corn growing in the fields. They had agriculturally committed the land to provide them some produce, and you see the sign that says “Agricultural Project Jonestown.” We get to the pavilion area and Jim Jones is there with his wife Marceline and a group of people—most of the hierarchy of the Peoples Temple. Ironically, it was run like a plantation. The whites were in the leadership and the African Americans were part of the general community.

They took us on a tour; we toured the cabins and the preschool and the medical clinic.

He couldn’t help but be impressed that they had carved out a livelihood in the middle of this jungle. At the end of that, we sat down on a picnic table in the back of the pavilion and started requesting certain members to come to visit with us. I had a manila envelope filled with letters from parents here in the Bay Area that they wanted us to hand-deliver to their children—young adult children— because they thought that somehow their mail wasn’t getting through.

JENNINGS: And were you allowed to speak to them and deliver them?

SPEIER: Yes. So we started meeting with many of these young people. And it was really eerie, because they all said the same thing. They all said, “Very happy here.” “No, I’m not interested in going home.”

“No, I’m not interested in connecting with my parents.”

And, “I’m about to get married to a fellow member of the Peoples Temple.” That was the line, the script that many of them would give us.

JENNINGS: At any point, do people hand you notes, or part of your delegation, the media who are with you?

SPEIER: Toward the end of the evening, they performed—danced and sang songs and played music. Congressman Ryan got up and—you might have seen that clip on TV—he says, “Well, it looks like from all I can see here, you’re all very happy.” The place erupted in applause. And it was odd, because it just kept going on. There was a frenetic nature to it. He laughed and then came back to the back of the pavilion.

Don Harris was the NBC reporter who was on the trip; he had been walking around the outside of the perimeter of the pavilion, and someone came up and slipped him a note. The note had two names on it of people who wanted to leave. So he comes over to us to hand us this note and my heart sank, because I just knew that everything that we had feared was true, that people were being held against their will. So then the next plan was, How do we make sure they get out?

That night, I was taken to a cabin with some women. I was on the top bunk; they had tin roofs and it was raining—it was this peppering of noise that kept me awake all night. I kept thinking, “What are we going to do, and how are we going to get out of here and how do we do it as calmly as possible?” The next morning, I helped one of the defectors get her belongings, but there was a guard standing at her cabin not wanting to let us in. He didn’t have a gun that was noticeable, but he was trying to intimidate her.

We got her belongings, came back to the pavilion and then more and more people wanted to leave and then a whole family wanted to leave. And so then it got very tense.

JENNINGS: And then you did try to take these people with you, and people started boarding the plane?

SPEIER: We had a dump truck full of defectors who wanted to leave. Congressman Ryan was staying behind with another 40 defectors, and then there was a knifing attempt on him. So they brought him down to the— JENNINGS: One of the people who pretended to defect?

SPEIER: Well, he was still up at the pavilion, FEBRUARY/MARCH 2019

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but it was one of the members of the Temple.

So he was brought down and got onto into the truck, and we went to the airstrip. Unbeknownst to us was a tractor trailer following behind us with gunmen on it.

I am putting passengers onto the two planes. I’m very leery of this one defector who was one of the members of the hierarchy—Larry Layton, who had been very critical of his sister who had been a defector, maligned her, and was saying how great it was. All of a sudden he’s on the truck leaving because he was “a defector.”

So he had this yellow poncho on, and I asked one of the reporters to frisk him, and he did—evidently not well enough. Then I wanted to make sure he wasn’t on the same plane, so I put him on the smaller plane.

I’m turning around and starting to load the passenger side to the larger plane, and there’s this little guy and his child scurrying into the plane. We didn’t have enough seats, so I’m trying to coax some out of the plane, and then the sound of gunfire erupts.

I didn’t know it was gunfire at first. I turned around: Congressman Ryan had been shot and then he was shot a second time and fell. I ran under the plane and hid under a wheel. And then over the course of the next few minutes, I play dead with my right side of my body exposed, and my head down so I was lying on my left side. Then all of a sudden I got hit. I turned and looked at myself, and I had a bone in my right arm coming up through the skin. My whole right leg was blown up, and I thought I was dying.

JENNINGS: You were hit five times, and you still have some of that in your body?

SPEIER: Two bullets, little souvenirs.

JENNINGS: So you

play dead, the gunfire eventually stopped.

Then what happened?

SPEIER: I thought I was dying. I’m 28; I’m thinking, “Oh, my God, this is it. I’m not going to have the life I had planned for myself.” I said the Act of Contrition because I was raised a Catholic girl, and then waited for the lights to go out. Then when I was still alive, I thought, “Oh, my grandmother, I don’t want her to have to live through my funeral.” She was 87 at the time.

So I somehow dragged my body from this position to the plank. Engines were still running. Someone came from behind me and said, “Hurry up, Jackie, hurry up.” And I’m thinking, “I can’t move.” He shoved me into the cargo hold.

I was there for some period of time, and then I was taken out and placed on the side of the airstrip on an anthill, believe it or not—you don’t sweat the small stuff when you’re dying, however. [Laughter.] So eventually, I was placed in a tent with three other more seriously wounded people and we spent the night there. And I got through that night, because Bob Flick, who was the NBC producer, came from this little town that was near the airstrip where everyone had gone to hide out. And it was a bar, and he brought me some Guyanese rum, and gave me swigs of Guyanese rum.

JENNINGS: That’s how you killed the pain.

SPEIER: That’s how I killed the pain.

JENNINGS: Oh, my gosh. It’s just complete chaos. The congressman is dead. You couldn’t even process what had happened. You were just dealing with your own impending sense of “I’m going to die.”

SPEIER: Right. I mean, there was a sense that they would come back and finish us off.

JENNINGS: How did they not do that?

Did somebody set up guards or did they just leave?

SPEIER: Well, they left and went back

to Jonestown. Then the White Knight trials that everyone had talked about, where Jim Jones would wake people up in the middle of the night over the loudspeaker and say, come to the pavilion, and they would go there, and then he’d make them drink something. He was testing their loyalty. Well, this time, it wasn’t a test; it was for real. And there was cyanide-laced Kool-Aid for 900 people.

You either drank it or it was injected into your arm.

JENNINGS: And they had had drills for this, right? Where the beverage was not— people keep calling it the Kool Aid, but it was just some beverage that they drank. And then the children and the infants?

SPEIER: Over 300 of them were children and infants.

JENNINGS: But they were injected?

SPEIER: Right.

JENNINGS: So they were injected with the cyanide and we have images, I don’t even know how you can get through the story because every time I hear it, it just hurts my heart. There’re syringes all over the place and there are big vats of this liquid, and this time around the drill was not a drill.

SPEIER: It wasn’t a drill.

JENNINGS: Did you know that at the time when you were— SPEIER: No. This is 1978, there were no cell phones. It’s a jungle environment. But somehow through the night word came that they had done the White Knight.

JENNINGS: And that’s what they called it, the White Knight?

SPEIER: Yeah, White Knight trials. So we didn’t of course know what had gone on. The

visuals that you see on TV are ghastly, and they’re burned in my memory of all those bodies, lying there face down, and these colorful T-shirts.

JENNINGS: Did you witness yourself, or you were just in such a bad state? There’s no way you could— SPEIER: No, it was some seven miles away.

JENNINGS: And then help finally arrived?

SPEIER: So about 22 hours after the shooting.

JENNINGS: Twenty-two hours with only rum and I think somebody gave you a couple of aspirin.

SPEIER: Couple aspirin. At 5 a.m. in the morning, the Guyanese army came by train to secure the airstrip and there was a medic, I thought, “Oh, I’m going to get my medical attention, they’ll put this in a cast, and I’ll be on my way. He comes in the tent, he looks at me and this tarp over my body and he hands me two aspirin. [Laughter.] Literally, that’s what he did. So I took one, and I saved one for when the pain got really bad.

So when they were actually lifting me up to the plane that was going to take me back to Georgetown, I saw that aspirin that I had left unused. And then we were taken by plane to the capital, where there was a U.S. medevac plane waiting.

JENNINGS: When you saw that plane, what did you think? That American plane.

SPEIER: I saw it again this morning when

they were taking President Bush’s body to Washington. And it’s this big white plane with the words United States of America written across it. And it was like someone had just wrapped me in the American flag.

There’s never a time that I say Pledge of Allegiance or sing the national anthem that I don’t go back to that moment, because I feel so lucky to be alive. And we all are lucky to be American citizens.

JENNINGS: We have a lot of great questions from the audience. What is the difference between being a victim and a survivor?

Is this an internal mindset or how others see you?

SPEIER: I think it’s all internal. I remember reading stories where they would refer to me as a victim of Guyana, and I would cringe from it, because I didn’t want to spend my life being that victim. I think it requires an internal commitment to move beyond it.

It doesn’t happen overnight, and it doesn’t happen easily, but I do think you have to will yourself to be a survivor.

JENNINGS: Do you think the control Jones had over the 900 people was faith, political or socially based? Is this something we have to fear in present or future American leaders?

SPEIER: I think he drew people to the church because it sounded like a perfect utopian environment, but then he beat them up. Imagine being tormented and physically abused and sexually abused and your loyalty

tested as to whether or not you are going to call out or report your spouse, your friend, because it became a very fear-based environment in which to live. And you would think, Well, why didn’t they just leave? Well, some did leave, but others had nowhere to go.

JENNINGS: Weren’t they signing checks somewhere, signing their checks?

SPEIER: All the senior citizens were signing the Social Security checks over to him.

JENNINGS: We talked about so many things that happen in your life. How did you continue after so many tragedies? What advice would you give to those given an unfair and unjust share of tragedy?

SPEIER: That was one of the ways I coped with Guyana. Everyone’s got their fair share of trauma and life or sadness or disappointment. I just got mine early in life.

Then when all those other things kept happening to me. I said, “Wait a minute, there is no ‘fair share’; you just get what you get and your challenge is to somehow persevere, to move through it.” And I don’t think we appreciate how much resilience we all have. If someone had told me [what I’d go through] before any of this happened, I would have thought that I would just have curled up and returned to the fetal position.

But we’re stronger than we think we are.

So I talked about the three Fs—family, friends and faith. And that’s how I have been able to get through it all.

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2019

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Photos by Ed Ritger

JESSE JACKSON The American Promise

JESSE JACKSON Founder and President, Rainbow PUSH Coalition; Former Democratic Presidential Candidate (1984 and 1988); Coauthor, Legal Lynching: The Death Penalty and America’s Future In conversation with

LADORIS CORDELL

Retired Judge

LADORIS CORDELL: We just completed the midterm elections, in which the Democrats’ blue wave took the House, while the Republicans’ red wall kept control of the Senate. And now there looms a fight on the Democrat side between self-described progressives, the young upstarts, and establishment Democrats over who will be the next speaker of the House. Give us your view about the current situation among Democrats as they move to take charge of the House in January.

JESSE JACKSON: I would say to any younger generation there’s nothing new, take the best of what exists and be transformative. For example, if the issue today is livable wages, if the issue is women’s right to self-determination, if the issue is less nuclear weapons and banning nuclear weapons, the issue is stop being draconian about immigration policy—if those issues matter to you, you should build up on that, not start anew.

That’s why I think it’s smart for Democrats to spend more time on issues that matter, that embrace all of us, than arguing about whether or not Nancy Pelosi should not be there because of her age. Mandela came in when he was 72. It was direction, not age.

If she were against Planned Parenthood, if she were against protecting the right to vote, that’s a legitimate argument. Or if she’s 70 and you fault her because you can’t be 39 any longer. [Laughter.]

I mean that’s a bogus argument, because at the end of the day you must have one big tent for all involved and none are locked out.

To build some argument and lock people out because of age, you come back next year, “Vote for me, I support seniors.” Well, support seniors then, seniors can be leaders Democrats, given the threats we are

facing today, we would do well to address what ails the people. For example, you see 11 Jewish people shot down in cold blood on a Saturday morning. The president starts talking about his hair blowing in the wind. You look at the people shot and the president’s response is, “Suppose the security guard there had a gun.” What can you do with a semi-automatic weapon and a gun, if somebody is that sick and they’re loaded with these weapons? Look at Charlottesville, and you see equating civil rights protestors with these anti-semitic racist Confederates.

And you dismiss it.

We need people to address those issues that matter to the most. People need health care now! People need education now! Jobs that pay now! Respect based upon their person, not based upon anything else— multicultural, multi-educational society, multiracial society—those who embrace those values, embrace them. Because some young people don’t make sense, and some do. Some old people don’t make sense, and some do. So you have to judge people based upon direction and vision, not based on any false premise.

CORDELL: Can I get an amen on that?

Reverend Jackson, in 2013 the conservative majority of the United States Supreme Court in Shelby County vs Holder gutted a key provision of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Since then several states have just come up with creative ways to just suppress the vote.

Interesting fact, 99 bills designed to suppress the votes of people of color were introduced last year in 31 state legislatures. So I was stunned—and I’ve been around a long time—but I was stunned by the blatant efforts to suppress the votes of Blacks, Latinos, and Native Americans in the midterms. How can America keep its promise to preserve our democracy if we can’t be certain that our voices will be heard? With so much at stake in the midterms, only 47 percent of eligible voters even bothered to cast their ballots, and that was a 50-year high. So how do we get more people to vote? Should voting be regulated by the federal government rather than by the states?

JACKSON: You cover a lot of territory there. [Laughter.] Well, I think there should be a unified national voting process, not a states’ rights vote.

That should be federal and unified. We have 50 states sepa-

rate and unequal on the election day. So in New York and Pennsylvania and Michigan, you can only vote one day, on Tuesday. In Georgia you have 30 days of pre-registration.

I mean, it’s all over the place. As a matter of fact, in 2000 [Vice President Al] Gore was on the verge of beating Bush, and the Supreme Court intervened and gave the state the power to determine the winner. So what the deal was, they stopped the count. Bush had 537 votes, but 7,000 votes—mostly Black in Duval County—had not been counted.

The state determined the outcome of the election. I don’t support states’ rights and voting; you can’t trust it.

In the last election Hillary Clinton won by three million votes. You have one person vote, one person/one vote democracy—but you don’t. Hillary Clinton won the election.

Hillary Clinton won the election, Hillary Clinton won the election. [Applause.]

I’m amazed at how many people have this animus toward her—if she had just done X and Y. Given the amount of international intervention and invasion in the process, given the amount of schemes and gerrymandering and undercutting, she had a 3 million [vote] surplus. Kennedy beat Nixon by 112,000 votes, less than one vote per precinct. Nixon beat Humphrey by 500,000 votes. She won by 3 million votes. So it takes effort to me to diminish what she did. If any of those that had those odds of virtual intervention, the odds of manipulating Facebook—if any of them had had those kind of odds, none of them would have won. So I think we would do well not to ever fall for a line of diminishing what she did against the odds

she did it against.

The other thing that happened during this season, in the darkest hours, when it’s real dark, the stars are most apparent. So the gloom and doom around the kind of things that Trump had done, and promised to do, when the election was lost, America didn’t run and hide. We turn our pain into power.

The pain we felt the night of November 8th became a wake-up call, as opposed to a go to sleep call. Trump was installed one day, and a million-plus women marched the next.

Those women marched, they went home and registered, voted, ran and won. Part of what makes America great is the right to fight for the right. On a rather predictable time schedule.

In the darkest hour, out of the clear blue sky comes some guy named Beto O’Rourke from Texas, who ran with the kind of strength and vigor and vitality and appearance that makes him high up for 2020 consideration. Who was he six months ago?

Out of that dark season comes Gillum in Florida, a Black guy in Florida. Yes, ran a race, and each of those races pulled a million new voters, therefore a million new jurists.

Out of the race comes a Stacey Abrams in Georgia, who won the race, really. She’s running against the secretary of state, who’s the referee, scorekeeper and timekeeper. So here we have a Black lieutenant governor in Illinois, a Black-Jewish coalition, J.B. Pritzker and an African American woman lieutenant governor. In Virginia, in Michigan, in New Jersey.

So in the dark I see the lights coming on everywhere. And it gives me inspiration

for 2020.

CORDELL: One important way that America has kept its promise of freedom and equality for all is with an independent judiciary. So the courts have been the salvation for women, the criminally accused, the poor, people of color. Ground-breaking decisions by the U.S. Supreme Court in its segregation, public schools, public accommodations, abolished the ban on interracial marriage, legalized same-sex marriage. And established procedural protections in our criminal justice system.

We’ve always been able to rely on our courts when all else failed. But now, the independence of our judiciary is being threatened by the Trump administration. So much so that recently Chief Justice [John] Roberts made a rare public statement about the importance of preserving judicial independence.

Now there have been personal attacks against judges whose rulings this president disfavors. And there are a record number of federal judges whose qualifications are either suspect or whose judicial philosophies align with ultra-conservative views, who’ve been confirmed to lifetime appointments on the federal courts.

My question to you is, with a U.S. Supreme Court majority that is solidly in the conservative camp, does all of this mean now that we can no longer turn to the courts for our salvation? How do we counter these unprecedented attacks on our courts?

JACKSON: We cannot turn to the courts solely. That same court ruled Blacks had no rights. We didn’t give up then. The same court ruled [for] legal apartheid, legal segregation.

The courts did not stop us sitting-in in 1955. The courts did not stop us from going to jail in 1964. It didn’t stop us from marching in ’65. So I tend not to look

for why we can’t do it—why we must. It always starts as long as we have the right to fight for the right, nothing can stop us. No court will stop us.

I look at the new South, in Alabama, Georgia, with a big gain in Atlanta. And there’s Wallace in the one hand saying, “I’ll block the doors forever.” And there’s Maddox with his ax saying, “Blacks will never have the right to vote in America.” And Dr. King about six blocks away, and these kids on the field—uniform color not skin color. Direction not complexion. Playing ball against fans [who are] people of multiracial, multicultural. They could not stop that America.

I think if America is coming forth for our future, Trump can’t turn back the clock, he can’t turn back time. We’re not going back.

He’s leaving, we’re not. [Applause.]

CORDELL: Right on. That’s right.

JACKSON: The right to win is being injured somewhat by removing preclearance— [advance approval by federal courts or the Department of Justice of changes to voting regulations]. So much so that—while it may not have been aimed at African Americans— we’ve got 9 million more Democrats voted last week than Republicans. And yet we lost the Senate because of gerrymandering.

When we got the right to vote in 1965, we finally have the right to vote and the burden is on us to register. We don’t understand gerrymandering, annexation and large roll-purging—we didn’t understand those manipulations. In ’65, African Americans could not vote in the main in the South.

White women couldn’t serve on juries. Eighteen year olds serving in Vietnam could not vote. You couldn’t vote on college campuses.

You couldn’t vote bilingually.

We never stopped fighting, moving in the cracks.

I say “cracks” advisedly, because one morning I was walking down the street from my house. And there was a broken sidewalk, and in the brokenness of the sidewalk some grass and flowers [were] blossoming. I stopped, I was searching for a sermon someplace.

And that cement was designed to suppress all the dirt under it. There was a crack in it.

And a little water and a little dirt and some sunshine, [and] out of the crack came the stem and the flower, and fermentation. . . .

That’s what happened in the election last week.

In spite of these schemes of disenfranchisement, we took the House back. And that means Nancy Pelosi has a platform and a voice. And check-and-balance power, and subpoena power, and hope. So against tremendous odds we must be odd busters and dream makers to survive.

CORDELL: To change the subject a little

bit. The strong coalition that existed into the 1970s between African Americans and Jews, a coalition that was in the forefront of the civil rights struggle of the ’60s no longer exists. When Louis Farrakhan uses anti-Semitic speech, I don’t hear African-American leaders denouncing him and his words.

Rather I hear things like, “Yeah, he says bad things about the Jews, but he stands up for Black folks.” Well, in my world, there’s no “but” on that subject. This year has marked a stunning uptick in incidents of anti-Semitism in this country.

You’ve had your ups and downs with the Jewish community. Where do you stand on this subject today?

Should we strive to rekindle that strong Black-Jewish coalition that once existed?

And if so, how do we do that?

JACKSON: I think in many ways it never frayed as the media predicted it to be frayed.

Through all of the tough times, we support Israel’s right to exist for security. And the tensions around Israel’s relationship with South Africa, we fought to free South Africa; we managed to handle that as well. You look at the votes in the U.S. Congress on labor

and public education, we’re essentially in the same place. On climate change, we’re the same place. I think sometimes we’ll take a leaf and act as if it’s a limb. That’s fake news.

I think we cannot afford to be apart. When you look at the nine people killed in the church in Charleston, 11 killed in a temple in Pittsburgh, that’s a message that will not go away. Our relationship is profound and deep and it’s kinship is non-negotiable.

CORDELL: Would you have liked to have been an ambassador? And if so, what country?

JACKSON: You know, I had the opportunity to be ambassador to South Africa at some point. But I wanted to work closer to the government. I didn’t want to be in a position where the government could fire me. I said, “In all due respect to our government, I just wanted the freedom to move, to be supported by the government in the best days and challenges of the first days.”

And at my age now, would I take that position? Under another president, yes. But not now. I find myself disagreeing with my president too much, so I couldn’t—I’d be fired the first month.

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THE PITCHER & THE DICTATOR AVERELL “ACE” SMITH Political Advisor; Author, The Pitcher and the Dictator The story of how a Negro Leagues star pitcher ended up playing for the dictator of the Dominican Republic.

From the December 3, 2018, Humanities MLF program in San Francisco, “The Pitcher and the Dictator.”

I

n 2005, I had just run the campaign for a guy named Antonio Villaraigosa for mayor of L.A., and that was a really tough race. I was back [in San Francisco]; we won the race, and it was summer of ’05 and I was just goofing around.

The way I goof around is I read a lot of books. That particular summer, my office was in North Beach. So I wandered down to City Lights Books and would just buy a few books every week. Just by happenstance, I bought a book called The Feast of the Goat. It’s a wonderful book by Mario Vargas Llosa, the great Peruvian author. It’s about essentially the assassination of Rafael Trujillo with CIA

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THE COMMO N WE AL TH

weapons in 1961.

Then just by pure luck, the next book I grabbed off the shelf was a book called Satchel Paige’s America. It . . . tells the story of the 1937 Dominican Series. I read that after having read this book about Trujillo, and it was just fascinating. I was transfixed by this whole notion. I wanted to get to the bottom of it, because I thought there was way more to it than just what Satchel had said. So I looked around and I finally found after a little bit of time that UC Santa Barbara actually had the 1937 papers from the Dominican Republic.

So I got in my car, motored down the 101 some weekend, and I read them cover to cover. The story itself was so much more fascinating than anyone ever told it.

Leroy Robert “Satchel” Paige Satchel Paige is probably one of the great sports figures of the last hundred years or so. He had the misfortune of living in the days before television, so people really didn’t see what he could do. He was banned from playing baseball because of his race, so he wasn’t able to play baseball until he was 42 years old. Even then, what he did in the major leagues was extraordinary.

Every day you read the sports page or you listen to the hype on radio and TV about the things players have overcome, and they tend

to be Achilles tendon pulls, or this or that or the other thing. But what Satchel overcame is truly remarkable.

He’s born Leroy Paige in Mobile, Alabama, in 1906. It’s about 15 years away from when the old Confederate troops essentially seized the governments of all the southern states.

They radically segregated everything, created an apartheid state. In the first decade of his life, his least concern was about being discriminated against, it was much more concern about possibly being lynched.

Lynchings were so rampant in Mobile, Alabama, in the first decade of his life that even some of the upright citizens were outraged that they did one of them in front of the downtown church. That’s just how horrible and blatant and really semi-legal it all was.

When he was six years old, he’s living in such abject poverty that his mother takes him aside and says, “Son, you gotta go get a job.”

Satchel says he felt like he was 64 years old.

So what he did—and this tells you about the brilliance of him—so Leroy decides that the way he’s gonna make money, he’s gonna carry bags from the train station to the downtown.

He starts doing this, and he’s charging 10 cents a bag. He’s clever, and he figures out very quickly that two bags, 20 cents. Three bags, 30 cents. So on, so forth. Does the math. And before long, he has this huge,

long pole. It’s got strings and attachments and stuff on it. And this little kid, he’s carrying like, 10 bags. So he’s making a buck a trip, which is real money [in] 1912 in Mobile, Alabama. All the kids start giving him a hard time and they start calling him “Satchel,” because he thought he was a walking satchel tree. Satchel—Leroy—is smart; he knew a good nickname when he heard one, and he grabbed that nickname for the rest of his life.

At age 12, Satchel one day is in the downtown part of Mobile, Alabama. He of course can’t afford anything. He grabs a little handful of brass rings, and of course he gets caught.

He can’t understand why, when his mother comes down to the police station to get him, she’s so upset. He thinks, “Okay. She’s gonna be really mad at me. And this will blow over.” Well, it turns out the mother is upset because she realizes what’s going to really happen to him, which is that he’s going to be incarcerated. Literally incarcerated from the time he’s 12 to 18.

It’s just amazing. But the thing about his incarceration at the Home for Negro Lawbreakers near Montgomery, near the capital, is that this is where he decides that he’s going to become a great pitcher. There happens to be a coach there, but he figures everything out on his own. He hones his talent, and he dedicates his time to becoming a great pitcher.

When he finally gets out at age 18, he’s back in Mobile. He happens to be very lucky—you all probably remember Alexis Herman, who was Bill Clinton’s labor secretary. Alexis Herman’s father was a guy named Alex Herman, who lived in Mobile, Alabama, at the time, and actually was the manager and part owner of the Chattanooga Negro League team.

He saw Satchel pitch, and he grabbed him. What’s remarkable is that from that very first game, he’s just head and shoulders above everyone else. Just a star. They marvel at the incredible curves of the lengthy colored speedball pitcher, Satchel Paige. He becomes a great star in the Negro Leagues. But of course he’s only relegated to playing for a very small part of the population—and for, frankly, very, very little money.

The Dictator Rafael Trujillo is another interesting parallel story. Here’s a guy who, kind of like Satchel, wouldn’t have had a chance in the world to succeed. In his case, the reason why he

succeeds, in a very evil way, is because the Americans invade the Dominican Republic.

And why do we invade the Dominican Republic in 1916? Because they owe Wall Street money. So we invade them, we shut down the government, we close down their newspapers. We seize every firearm—I hate to tell NRA people this, they seized 3 million firearms and literally dumped them in the Caribbean—and ran the whole country under martial law.

What did they need? They needed what we do still today in Afghanistan, in Iraq, all these other places. They need to build a force of native people—police people. So who did they sign up? They signed up this guy, Rafael Trujillo, who is a security guard. Basically a thug at the sugar plantations to keep all the Haitians in line.

Trujillo gets that assignment; he literally climbs all the way up the ladder of opportunity to become the head of the [security] forces. When we finally allow them their free elections in 1924, he talks the president, who he’s become chummy with, into actually making it into a national army. Of course, he’s the head of the national army. And then he bides his time and waits for 1930. He sees some weakness in President Vasquez, and he essentially runs a bloodless coup d’etat. He does it by [getting] this other really clueless politician from the Santiago area, who he talks into going into halfsies on this thing.

The poor guy thinks he’s going to be president, and Trujillo does a little switcheroo and he says, “I’m actually going to be president.

You’re going to be my vice president.” They rig the election, he wins.

We get to 1937 and Trujillo is running for re-election in 1938—as much as dictators run for re-election, right? His people essentially convince him that what he needs to do [is] kind of the equivalent of Roman games—“We’re gonna do something great for the population in return for your liberty.” So they create this series, literally, and it’s called National Championship Dedicated to the Re-Election of President Trujillo. There’s the series.

There are three teams in the series. There’s the team from what we know as Santo Domingo, but which has now been renamed Ciudad Trujillo—Trujillo City—which is Trujillo’s team, obviously, Trujillo Dragones.

And then a team from San Pedro de Macoris, on the coast, and a team from Santiago.

All of his people, they’ve talked him into it.

They’ve said, “President, this is going to be great. You’re going to go up in the esteem of the people.”

The series starts. A little minor problem.

The Trujillo’s team starts losing, because the other teams have better players. They have imported a bunch of Cubans and Puerto Ricans. So the poor guy who is running the team wakes up one day, and he must have just decided, “This is not just going to be bad on my resume, I’m going to get shot here. This is not a good thing.” He decides that the only way to solve the problem is to go to America and recruit the best players available. And probably the best players who ever played baseball were the Negro League players.

So imagine. This is the spring of 1937.

[Satchel is] wandering down the main street of New Orleans. Out of nowhere, there comes this short little man with a white suit and white hat with a black band. He says, “I’d like to introduce myself. I’m Dr. José Enrique Aybar. I work for President Trujillo of the Dominican Republic, and the president would like to retain your services.”

[Satchell thinks], “Well this must be one hell of a sick ball club if they’ve got a doctor in charge.” That’s the first thing he thinks.

But he doesn’t say that. He says basically, maybe the first time in sports, “Show me the money.” So they agree to meet the next day, and the little doctor shows up with a bank book. In the bank book, on the ledger line, it says Satchel Paige and below it, it says $30,000. Which is probably something like, five times the amount of money he had made in his entire career up to that point.

So Satchel says, “Hell, yeah.” And he says, “You have to bring my trusty catcher with me and we’re all fine.” So Satchel, the good doctor and the catcher get on one of those old sea planes and they take off. They land down by San Pedro de Macoris and they get rolling.

Beyond just pitching and making the team better, Satchel starts recruiting all of his other fellow players. They literally just raid the Negro Leagues of all the top talent. And by the time they’re done with this thing, I would actually say maybe the best baseball players who ever played played in this series.

Aside from Satchel, [there was] Cool Papa Bell, who’s probably the quickest player.

Luis Tiant’s father played in this. Perucho Cepeda, Orlando Cepeda’s father, played in FEBRUARY/MARCH 2019

23

this series. The greatest power-hitting catcher ever played in this series.

There was just an amazing amount of talent, all in this series. But there was a little bit of a catch here—and this is the story that was never really told. They get down there and these Negro League players, they’re used to playing in those days, almost every day. Or maybe every other day. Traveling. That’s just the way you make your money. In between league games, you would play other games.

No one was paying you during the off-season; you had to fill in with barnstorming, everything else. So they get down there and they realize that all they have got to do is play on the weekends and goof off the rest of the time.

The other thing that’s quite a revelation to them is that these young Black players, they’re down there and they’re used to everywhere in the United States of America. Well, guess what? [They are] in one of the most repressive dictatorships in the world, but for some sense for them, there’s more freedom. Why is there more freedom? They can go to any bar, brothel, dance club, golf course, you name it, and there’s no sign up that sas “No coloreds.” Plus, they’ve got money. So they party up a storm.

That’s the little catch.

And they start losing games.

Power Play So what does Trujillo do? This is one of the great ironies of ironies.

Trujillo ran his newspapers kind of like Stalin ran his newspapers. It was essentially whatever he wanted on the front page in the newspaper.

Half of the stuff was stuff that he wrote or ordered written. The other weird thing about the Dominican Republic at that time, any time a big scoop would run, they would actually blow the air raid sirens. When they blew the air raid sirens, probably about a half dozen people had heart attacks. Because what happened was if you were denounced in the papers, the best case for you is your career is done. Probably more likely you’re going to jail and maybe even more likely than that, you’re probably going to get shot.

It’s interesting when you read the papers.

It’s frightening. It seemed like in the papers I was scanning, there would be a major de-

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THE COMMO N WE AL TH

nunciation of someone it seemed like every, three weeks [or] a month. Trujillo, of course, and his people found out what was going on [with the players], so there’s a full-throated denunciation of all the Black players.

It says, “They’re going to bars. They’re falling down drunk. They’re in the bordellos every night. They’re not showing up to practice.” The whole nine yards. I’m convinced to this day that one of the great ironies [was that] I don’t think the players ever knew that even happened. They didn’t have a clue.

Trujillo wasn’t going to shoot them or put them on trial, right? But what did happen was this. Trujillo took the head of his gestapo,

a guy named Miguel Angel Paulino, and he installed him as the assistant manager of the team. It was called the assistant manager in charge of discipline. Paulino did two things.

First of all, he went to every bar and bordello and dance hall and he said, “You serve these guys drinks, you’re dead.” Then he put guards around where the players were staying to make sure they weren’t carousing. And he told [the players] very directly, “You win, or else.”

So with the enforced discipline, they actually get back on a winning streak. As a matter of fact, Satchel won almost all of his games. They actually get to the very last game, and the pitcher who’s in there for his team

is faltering horribly, and Satchel has to come in and relieve him.

Satchel recounts two things. First of all, he says, “I knew the umpires saw the guns in the stands of all Trujillo’s troops.” So he said, “I had a pretty wide strike zone.” And he said [it] was like the only time in his life he was genuinely freaked out. He could hardly even throw a pitch. [The opposing players] almost load the bases, almost win the game. But he pulls out in the very end.

Audience question & answer session AUDIENCE MEMBER: What do you want people to take away from your book?

AVERELL “ACE” SMITH: I mean, one of the things that was eye-opening to me was I was trying to reconstruct some of these scenes. For instance, when Satchel is in New Orleans in April of 1937. I grabbed every local newspaper I could get for months, and I read them all. One of the things that was kind of interesting was all the Black newspapers of that time, which are Chicago Defender, Pitchford Courier, The New Amsterdam Times—but the whole series of them were actually national newspapers. So a lot of them were mailed all the way in the Deep South. That’s the way a lot of the Black populace got their news. [I] tracked down all those, and the thing that was stunning to me was just trying to read through the history. You just stumble across lynching after lynching. You ask, why would he get up and leave? It’s like, why wouldn’t you? The accounts are just harrowing and heartbreaking.

The other thing that I [found interesting is] you grow up learning American history in American classrooms, and maybe I had different history books than everyone else. But I never knew that we invaded all these countries. I never knew that we invaded Nicaragua in 1912. Haiti in 1915. Dominican Republic in 1916.

Not to mention all the incursions in Mexico with Pershing and whatnot. Not only did we invade these countries, we invaded them because essentially they owed Wall Street money. And when we went into these countries, we stripped away all their liberties. We shut down their governments, and we put in place martial law. You maybe read about the Spanish-American War and

some other things. But it’s a whole chapter of history that’s completely skipped over.

In the case of the Dominican Republic, what’s especially tragic is not only did we essentially kind of lay the groundwork and put in place Trujillo, who was just a tragic dictatorship from 1930 to 1961. When they actually got freedom again, and had free elections and elected Juan Bosch, we supported essentially all the displaced Trujillo people who put in place Joaquin Balaguer, who essentially was like a Trujillo person for another 20 years. So you wonder why there’s animosity in different parts of the world, and stuff you don’t quite read about.

AUDIENCE MEMBER: Did Satchel ever express any opinions about the political situation in Dominican?

SMITH: That’s a great question. In order for not just Satchel but any of the Negro League players to make ends meet, they were actually quite internationalists—to kind of fill in their dance card, make enough money to survive, they played in Cuba, they played

in Venezuela, they played in Nicaragua. They played in [the Domincan Republic], Puerto Rico, so on. So they were well aware of a lot of the political situations.

When he writes about it, it was really clear there’s this huge boss. He runs everything. He calls all the shots. And if you didn’t do it, you might be in a heap of trouble. So he got it.

What they didn’t quite understand is the background of the whole thing. They didn’t understand that the thing was for the guy’s re-election and they couldn’t lose. They didn’t understand that they were denounced in the newspapers. They didn’t understand a lot of the complexities. But they knew they were playing for a strongman.

GEORGE HAMMOND, Chair, Humanities MLF: You said they weren’t aware of the announcement in the paper, but the paper was obviously not in English. Did any of them read Spanish?

SMITH: I think they kind of dealt in “pocho” espanol. You know? Which is kind of like good enough to order at a restaurant.

AUDIENCE MEMBER: I love this history and international relations, but as a mother of a young 6’-4” lefty pitcher, I’m curious about how he altered his delivery. Not just to outsmart the batter, but also to protect his arm. Do you think there’s a story here for current pitchers?

SMITH: Yeah. As a matter of fact, that’s why I wrote this. And actually I also got very lucky. The guy who’s like the data kid for the Washington Nationals, I made sure to put it in his hand. He was actually the person who—this is kind of a funny story—got me Dusty Baker [to write a review in support of the book]. This is before Dusty had been fired. But it was funny.

The story about Dusty is interesting in the sense that when you do these things, you pre-write all this stuff and then you get people to sign their names to it, right? So I pre-wrote this really nice thing for Dusty.

And he actually sent me back this, which I had no idea. He says, “I was 19 years old when I played with Satchel Paige in 1968.

He knew my name but he called me Daffy.

And I was happy to let him. By then Satchel lived one of the most extraordinary lives of our time.” And it was interesting, the influence. Because Satchel went around, and was really almost like a sandlot prophet. He went everywhere, trying to teach young people how to play. And to my great astonishment

Dusty, otherwise known as Daffy, had come across him.

AUDIENCE MEMBER: Did any white players go to play? Because I know sometimes they did play with the Negro League players, to make more money.

SMITH: No. I mean, there’s a bunch of Cubans who we might consider white. And probably some Dominicans. There were probably a number of Puerto Ricans. But there were no white major leaguers.

There was a guy, Silvio Garcia, who was a Cuban. Garcia is kind of an interesting guy.

When [baseball executive] Branch Rickey was looking at integrating the Dodgers and bringing in Jackie Robinson, he interviewed a number of players. He brought Silvio in.

He said, “Hey, Silvio. I’m just trying to figure this out here. But if someone hurls a racial epithet at you, how are you gonna react?” He says, “Oh, I’d kill the man.” So of course, he didn’t get the job.

HAMMOND: Any insights that you would like to share about how Satchel lived out his post-baseball years? Or his final days? Was it a good life?

SMITH: Oh, it was a great life. You know, you watch too many retired athletes who, they get past their glory days, and they still think they’re in their glory days. Satchel was just a incredibly gregarious people person.

You know, just loved people. So to the end of his life, he would just like drive around the country and just help young kids who were learning to play baseball, who were breaking in. He just so loved the game.

His first marriage broke up because he’s just one of these people who could never stay put for a minute. But he worked out the second time. He was a guy always on the move. Always loving people. And was just really a prophet for baseball, rest of his life.

But he also pitched. I want to say he pitched an exhibition game, like an inning, for [Athletics owner] Charlie Finley I think in 1965.

HAMMOND: You said that he joined Major League Baseball when he was 42.

SMITH: Yep. HAMMOND: Did he pitch full-time for many seasons?

SMITH: In the majors he pitched for the Cleveland Indians; they won the World Series that year. Then he pitched for Bill Veeck’s other team, the St. Louis Browns.

Then he pitched a number of exhibitions, whatnot, after that.

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2019

25

L ast Word

WITH JEFFREY ROSEN

Photos by James Meinerth

THE FUTURE

of the Supreme Court

C

& the Constitution

hief [Justice] John Marshall made it his mission to persuade the [U.S. Supreme] Court to converge around narrow, unanimous opinions—and, by allowing the court to speak in one voice, raised the prestige and legitimacy of the court to the point where it was fully able to check the presidency and the Congress.

The current chief justice, John Roberts, is acutely sensitive to this challenge, and he has said that he wants to make it his mission as chief justice to persuade the court to avoid these 5–4 rulings.

I interviewed Chief Justice Roberts at the beginning of his term—it was 2006. Roberts said he hoped it would be said of his decisions that a majority of them showed a concern about judicial legitimacy.

And he cited as his model the great chief John Marshall, noting that Marshall had persuaded his colleagues to live together in the same boarding house, where they discussed cases over a hogshead of Marshall’s favorite Madeira. All the judges would get buzzed, and all the cases were unanimous. [Laughter.] There was the unfortunate moment of course when the justices voted only to drink Madeira when it rained. Marshall looked out the window and said, “Our jurisdiction is so broad, it must be raining somewhere.”

Roberts said “I’m not comparing myself to Marshall, but I think that it’s important in this polarized time that people think of the court as something beyond five Republicans against four Democrats.” He

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THE COMMO N WE AL TH

acknowledged that his success would turn on the willingness of his colleagues to embrace his vicion. This was 2006 when we talked.

Roberts said, “Who do you think would be the greatest obstacle to this vision of unanimity?” . . . The correct answer is Justice Kennedy.

The reason Justice Kennedy was the biggest obstacle was because Justice Kennedy believed in broad defenses of liberty. When Justice Kennedy believe liberty was implicated, he would vote for the liberal side if it involved marriage equality or even affirming the heart of Roe v. Wade, or with the conservative side when it involved the Affordable Care Act—which he thought was a coercive offense to liberty—or affirmative action. He was a principled libertarian, but he was not in favor of narrow, unanimous opinions.

So the central question with Justice Kennedy having retired, is is there a greater chance that Roberts might be able to persuade his conservative colleagues to join justices Kagan and Breyer, who are pragmatists and who are passionately committed to this vision of nonpartisan legitimacy and avoid these 5–4 splits.

Much of that will turn on our new justice, [Brett] Kavanaugh.

Justice Kavanaugh, before he was appointed, [was said to] share Roberts’ commitment to legitimacy. So we’ll see.

—”The Future of the Supreme Court and the Constitution,” November 7, 2018

SEPTEMBER 19–OCTOBER 3, 2019

U.S. to TEHRAN Thursday, September 19 Depart the United States.

TEHRAN Friday, September 20 Upon arrival, transfer to our hotel.

Espinas Hotel

TEHRAN Saturday, September 21 Enjoy a full day of sightseeing in Tehran concentrating on its excellent museums.

Visit the Archaeological Museum with its fine collection including a stone capital of a winged lion from Susa. Explore the Golestan Palace (Palace of Flowers) and enjoy a private visit to a contemporary art gallery.

TRIP DETAILS INCLUDED: Accommodation as per itinerary; meals as listed in the program; airport transfers if on the recommended flights; bottled water on the bus; all sightseeing in an air-conditioned coach; internal flights; all entrance fees and special events listed; full educational program; pre-departure materials and reading list; local Iranian guide; professional tour manager who will accompany the group; gratuities for drivers, porters, restaurant and hotel staff for all group activities.

DOES NOT INCLUDE: International airfare into and out of Iran (approximately $1,500); visa fees for Iran; excess luggage charges; medical expenses; trip insurance; items of a purely personal nature; gratuity to local Iranian guide.

COST: $7,390 per person, double occupancy; $1,520 single supplement GROUP SIZE: Minimum 15, Maximum 25

YAZD Tuesday, September 24 Visit the former home of the Governor of the city to see and learn more about traditional Persian architecture and the badgers, wind towers ingeniously designed to catch a passing breeze. Explore the bazaar and enjoy a stroll through it before visiting the Water Museum. Stop at the Haj Khalifeh Ali Rahbar pastry shop opened in 1916 and the Amir Chakhmaq Complex with its perfectly proportioned sunken alcoves and tiles laid out in intricate patterns. Visit the Friday Mosque, the best preserved 14th century mosque in Iran, and enjoy a walking tour through the covered streets of Yazd’s old quarter. Spend the balance of the afternoon concentrating on the Zoroastrian religion.

Espinas Hotel (B,L,D)

Moshir Garden Hotel (B,L,D)

TEHRAN Sunday, September 22 Head to northern Tehran to visit the Niavaran Palace and the Museum, the last home of Mohammad-Reza Shah and his family. The complex boasts two palaces, a pavilion, Persian gardens, a museum and a smaller gallery. Continue on to Khomeini’s home where one is allowed a glimpse of the dwelling. After lunch, visit the Iranian crown jewels stored in the basement vault of the Bank Milli Iran.

Admire the world’s largest uncut diamond as well as the Peacock Throne.

YAZD / SHIRAZ Wednesday, September 25 Head to a small village called Taft where a large number of Zoroastrians still live. En route to Shiraz visit the site of Pasargad where Cyrus the Great defeated Astyages the Mede in 550 BC and, according to tradition, decided to build the first Achaemenian capital on the site of his victory.

Espinas Hotel (B,L,D)

TEHRAN / YAZD Monday, September 23 Visit the Museum of Contemporary Art which was designed by Kamran Diba using elements from traditional Persian architecture and is considered to be one of the most valuable collections of modern art outside of Europe and the United States. This afternoon, fly to Yazd, a major stop on the international caravan routes to Central Asia and India.

Moshir Garden Hotel (B,L,D)

Zandiyeh Hotel (B,L,D)

SHIRAZ Thursday, September 26 Visit the 19th century Eram Gardens built in a quadripartite Persian Paradise Garden structure. Head to the Fars Museum and then explore the citadel or Arg-e Karim Khan built in 1766 using the best architects and artists and materials of the time. Stop at the “Pink Mosque” or Nasir-ol-Molk Mosque which is the oldest and one of the most elegant mosques in southern Iran. Continue on to the tomb of Saadi, one of the major Persian poets of the time and known all over the world for the quality and depth of his social and moral thoughts in his writings. End the

day at the tomb of the celebrated poet Hafez which is located in a small garden.

Zandiyeh Hotel (B,L,D)

SHIRAZ / PERSEPOLIS Friday, September 27 Today we enjoy a full day excursion to Persepolis, the ceremonial capital of the Achaemenian Empire and one of the world’s most beautiful and spectacular archaeological sites. This palace city was built by craftsmen from around Darius’ vast empire. Superb bas reliefs depict the flow of ritual processions.

After lunch sitting in the shade of grape vines, visit Naghsh-E Rostam which contains the carved tombs of four Achaemenian kings.

Zandiyeh Hotel (B,L,D)

SHIRAZ / ISFAHAN Saturday, September 28 Drive to Isfahan stopping en route for lunch. Upon arrival in Isfahan in the late afternoon, visit Hasht Behesht which is located in the center of the Garden of Nightingales (the Bagh-e Bulbul), and is one of Isfahan’s two surviving Safavid pavilions.

Abbasi Hotel (B,L,D)

ISFAHAN Sunday, September 29 Isfahan is perhaps the most beautiful of all Iranian cities. Visit the Palace of Forty Columns, a charming pavilion where the walls and ceilings are covered with frescoes and paintings. Walk to the Maydan-e Shah or Imam Square, the central focus of this fascinating city which never failed to inspire and awe European merchants and ambassadors to the Safavid court. Explore the Lotfallah Mosque, the Ali Qapu Palace and the towering portal of the Shah Mosque.

After lunch, spend the afternoon exploring the bazaar and learning more about traditional crafts in Iran.

Abbasi Hotel (B,L,D)

ISFAHAN Monday, Sept 30 Visit the Friday Mosque with its tiled ivans, vaulted ceilings and lofty domes that display more than 800 years of Persian religious architecture. Admire some of the five bridges crossing the Zayendehrud River and wander through the city’s fascinating Armenian quarter. We also visit Isfahan’s new Music Museum.

Abbasi Hotel (B,L,D)

KASHAN Tuesday, October 1 Depart for Kashan, the epitome of everything that is typically Persian from its mosques, caravanserais and stately gardens, to its carpets, ceramics and delicate embroideries. Along the way stop at the historic village of Abyaneh, one of Iran’s oldest villages. Arrive for lunch, and then visit the Tabatabei House, a traditional house built in the early 1880s, which is renowned for its mirror and stained glass work. Visit the historic Kashan Bazaar, the center of trade in the city for almost 800 years.

Manouchehri Hotel (B,L,D)

KASHAN / TEHRAN Wednesday, October 2 After breakfast drive to Tehran. We stop at the Tomb of Ayatollah Khomeni, which is the centerpiece of a complex which is planned to include a cultural and tourist center, a university for Islamic studies, a seminary and a shopping mall. Check in to our hotel, located very close to the airport. Enjoy a festive farewell dinner.

Novotel Hotel (B,L,D)

TEHRAN TO U.S. Thursday, October 3 Depart Tehran for flights home.

(B)

international

WHAT TO EXPECT Participants must be in very good health and able to keep up with an active group. In order to participate, one should be able to walk 1-2 miles per day comfortably, climb steep stairs without handrails or assistance and walk and stand for periods of two hours at a time. This tour involves considerable driving.

Fall is a lovely time to travel in Iran when temperatures range from 60-85 degrees Fahrenheit. The infrastructure in Iran is quite good, with modern roads and buses. Hotels are comfortable, with private bathrooms and air-conditioning. Food is freshly prepared and healthy. During the program, participants should be dressed modestly and women will be required to have their head covered while in public areas. Alcohol is not permitted in Iran. More details will be provided upon registering for the trip.

RESERVATION FORM

SEPTEMBER 19–OCTOBER 3, 2019

Name 1 Name 2 Address City/State/Zip

Home Phone

Cell phone

EXPERT GUIDE

Email Address Enclosed is a deposit of Enclosed is my check

OR

($500 per person) for

Charge my deposit to my

spaces.

Visa

MasterCard

CARD #

Expires

Authorized Cardholder Signature

Date

Security code

Final payment must be by check. Please make checks payable to “Distant Horizons.” Do not write “Iran” on your check. Your deposit is fully refundable up until 14 days after receipt of your reservation form. A confirmation letter, full terms and conditions, reading list and a travel insurance application will be mailed to you upon receipt of your deposit.

ROOM ARRANGEMENTS Single Supplement Double Occupancy; I will be sharing a room with: I would prefer a roommate, but will pay the single supplement if one is not available.

TRAVEL ARRANGEMENTS I/we wish to be booked on flights from SFO. I/we wish to be booked on a departing flight from: I/we will make round-trip travel arrangements to Tehran on my/our own.

WE REQUIRE MEMBERSHIP IN THE COMMONWEALTH CLUB TO TRAVEL WITH US. PLEASE CHECK ONE OF THE FOLLOWING OPTIONS: I am a current member of the Commonwealth Club.

Please use the credit card information above to sign me up or renew my membership.

I will visit commonwealthclub.org/membership to sign up for a membership.

PLEASE RETURN THIS FORM ALONG WITH YOUR DEPOSIT TO: Commonwealth Club Travel 110 The Embarcadero, San Francisco, CA 94105 You may also fax the form to 415.597.6729

Phone: (415) 597-6720 | Fax: (415) 597-6729 | travel@commonwealthclub.org Please note the State Department has had a Travel Warning for Iran since 1979. You can read this Travel Warning at https://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/alertswarnings/iran-travel-warning.html. Our tour operator has operated many trips to Iran. The Commonwealth Club and our tour operator are closely monitoring the situation in Iran and will not operate the trip if the situation within the country becomes hostile or unsafe.

Ali Sadrnia grew up in Iran and the UK where he attended Exeter Tutorial College. He returned to Iran where he studied English and tour guiding at Azad University in Tehran. In addition to leading groups through Iran, he teaches English, serves on numerous tourism boards and writes articles on Persian history and handicrafts. He has led several Commonwealth Club groups in Iran and received rave reviews.

The Commonwealth Club organizes more than 450 events every year on politics, the arts, media, literature, business and sports. Programs are held throughout the Bay Area in San Francisco, Silicon Valley, Marin County, and the East Bay. Standard programs are typically one hour long and frequently include panel discussions or speeches followed by a question and answer session. Many evening programs include a networking reception with wine.

PROGRAM DIVISIONS

CLIMATE ONE

INFORUM

MEMBER-LED FORUMS

Discussion among climate scientists, policymakers, activists, and citizens about energy, the economy, and the environment.

Inspiring talks with leaders in tech, culture, food, design, business and social issues targeted towards young adults.

Volunteer-driven programs that focus on particular fields. Most evening programs include a wine networking reception.

COMMONWEALTHCLUB.ORG/CLIMATE-ONE

COMMONWEALTHCLUB.ORG/INFORUM

COMMONWEALTHCLUB.ORG/MLF

RADIO, VIDEO, & PODCASTS Watch Club programs on the California Channel every Saturday at 9 p.m., and on KRCB TV 22 on Comcast. Select Commonwealth Club programs air on Marin TV’s Education Channel (Comcast Channel 30, U-Verse Channel 99) and on CreaTV in San Jose (Channel 30). View hundreds of streaming videos of Club programs at fora.tv and youtube.com/commonwealthclub

Hear Club programs on more than 200 public and commercial radio stations throughout the United States. For the latest schedule, visit commonwealthclub.org/broadcast.

In the San Francisco Bay Area, tune in to: KQED (88.5 FM) Fridays at 8 p.m. and Saturdays at 2 a.m.

KSAN (107.7 FM) Sundays at 5 a.m.

KRCB Radio (91.1 FM in Rohnert Park) Thursdays at 7 p.m.

KNBR (680 and 1050 AM) Sundays at 5 a.m.

KALW (91.7 FM) Inforum programs select Tuesdays at 7p.m.

KFOG (104.5 and 97.7 FM) Sundays at 5 a.m.

KLIV (1590 AM) Thursdays at 7 p.m.

TuneIn.com Fridays at 4 p.m.

Subscribe to our free podcast service on iTunes and Google Play to automatically receive new programs: commonwealthclub.org/podcasts.

TICKETS Prepayment is required. Unless otherwise indicated, all events—including “Members Free” events— require tickets. Programs often sell out, so we strongly encourage you to purchase tickets in advance.

Due to heavy call volume, we urge you to purchase tickets online at commonwealthclub.org; or call (415) 597-6705. Please note: All ticket sales are final. Please arrive at least 10 minutes prior to any program. Select events include premium seating, which refers to the first several rows of seating.

Pricing is subject to change.

HARD OF HEARING? To request an assistive listening device, please e-mail Mark Kirchner seven working days before the event at mkirchner@commonwealthclub.org.

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2019

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MONDAY

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6 pm The Commonwealth Club’s Sweet 116th Birthday Party

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6 pmp.m.

5:15 Botswana: Blinding Flash of Delta, Diamonds the Obvious and 6:30 p.m. Ben Democracy Franklin 6 pm Reading Circles FM 6:30 p.m. Book Californians Changemakers: Discussion Group: Movement The Modoc War Leaders on Civil Rights in an Uncivil Time FM 7:45 p.m. The Future of America’s Political

6 pm Leonardo’s Knots FM

5:30 pm Explore the World from The Commonwealth Club FE 6:30 pm Roger McNamee: Inside the Facebook Catastrophe

6 pm Gary Snyder, Peter Goin and Dooby Lane 6:30 pm Howard Schultz, Former CEO of Starbucks

5:15 pm The Choice: Embrace the Possible 5:30 pm Middle East Forum Discussion FM 6:30 pm BernardHenri Lévy

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noon 10 a.m.

Restoring Chinatown Walking Health Climate Tour 6:30 p.m.Innovative Through Sallie Krawcheck: The Solutions Power 6 pm Ninja of Women, Future: WorkInnovation How and WalletWill 7 p.m. Gopi Change Our Kallayil: Lives, Brain, and What Body We and Can Do Consciousness to Thrive 6:30 pm Republicans in California

noon Ethical and Spiritual Impacts of Learning Family Secrets 6 pm The Master Plan

San Francisco

East/North Bay

noon Commonwealth Club Weekly Tour FE 6:30 pm Gov. Chris Christie: President Trump and Power Politics 6:30 pm Week to Week Politics Roundtable

2 pm Commonwealth Club Weekly Tour 6 pm The Art of Flirting 6:30 pm One Paycheck Away: Addressing Homelessness in the Bay Area

2 pm Commonwealth Club Weekly Tour FE 5:15 pm Increasing Housing Options for People in the Middle 6:30 pm Tim Wu: Inside Tech Monopolies

noon Jill Abramson 2 pm Commonwealth Club Weekly Tour FE 4 pm Health & Medicine FM 5:15 pm Thinking That Gets Results 7 pm Brave, Not Perfect 7:30 pm SV Reads 2019

Silicon Valley

noon The Michelle Meow Show FE 6 pm Printing Abolition 6 pm Donor Power 6:30 pm Imperfect Circles 7 pm Gopi Kallayil: The Happy Human

10 am Chinatown Walking Tour noon The Michelle Meow Show FE 6:30 pm Modern Love: INFORUM’s Annual Valentine’s Day Party

noon The Michelle Meow Show FE 6 pm The Kardashian-Free Conversation Club 6 pm Salvator Mundi

Meow Show FE 2 pm San Francisco Walking Tour 6 pm Financing the Future of Water 6 pm Decline of Hegemony in the Americas 6:30 pm Week to Week Politics Roundtable

FM Free for members

Experiment: Arab Kingdom, Catholic College, Jewish Teacher FM

noon Helping Refugees, Welcoming the Stranger FE

noon Parag Khanna: Understanding the Asian Century

FE Free for everyone

MO Members-only

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

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SAT/SUNDAY SAT/SUN

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6/7 2/3

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5:15 pm The Hacking of the American Child 6:30 pm Norman Eisen

6 pm Jeremiah’s Philosophical Argument with Jehovah FM 6:30 pm Is the American Dream Out of Reach for Most Californians?

How Businesses Can Restore the State’s Middle Class

6 pm Written in Stone: Public Monuments in Changing Societies 6:30 pm John Lanchester 6:30 pm Socrates Café

5 pm Middle East Forum Discussion FM 6 pm A Way to Find One’s Purpose (and, Coincidentally, Happiness and Contentment)

6 pm The Snow Clown: Cartwheels on Borders from Alaska to Nebraska

6:30 pm Sunita Puri 7 pm Silicon Valley and the Challenge of Ethics FE

6 pm The New Initiatives at UC Berkeley

commonwealthclub.org/events

2 pm Commonwealth Club Weekly Tour FE 5:15 pm The Personal Side of Home Care

noon Andrew McCabe 2 pm Commonwealth Club Weekly Tour FE 5:15 pm Longevity Explorers: Exploring the Future of Aging

Club Weekly Tour FE 5:15 pm What You Need to Know Before You’re 65 6:30 pm Week to Week Politics 6:30 pm Humanities West Book Discussion 6:30 pm Primatologist Frans de Waal

2 pm Commonwealth Club Weekley Tour FE 6:30 pm Amy Webb

noon Giving Youth a Voice 12 pm The Michelle Meow Show FE 6:30 Imperfect Circles

noon The Michelle Meow Show FE 2 pm North Beach Walking Tour 6:30 pm Emily Chang’s Brotopia: One Year Later

noon The Michelle Meow Show FE 6 pm The Kardashian-Free Conversation Club

noon Second Annual Women’s Luncheon

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noon The Michelle Meow Show FE 2 pm Russian Hill Walking Tour 6pm Deep Medicine

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2019

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Botswana: Delta, Diamonds and Democracy 2/4

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 1 THE COMMONWEALTH CLUB’S SWEET 116TH BIRTHDAY PARTY

READING CALIFORNIANS BOOK DIS- profit-making enterprises that are sequestering CUSSION GROUP: THE MODOC WAR carbon into building materials and other prag-

We will discuss The Modoc War, and author Robert McNally has kindly agreed to attend our meeting! He will bring copies of his book to sell and autograph.

The Modoc War tells the forgotten story of a violent and bloody Gilded Age campaign at a time when the federal government boasted officially of a “peace policy” toward indigenous nations. This compelling history illuminates a dark corner in our country’s past—a must for all interested in California history.

It’s our birthday! Come celebrate movie night with us!

Join us for our sweet 16—sweet 116th birthday party and movie night, that is. We’ll start the evening with a short film from the year the Club was founded (1903), a vintage cartoon, and then our featured presentation—a classic Charlie Chaplin film.

It’s an evening for members and nonmembers alike to enjoy complimentary popcorn and cup- SAN FRANCISCO • Location: 110 The Emcakes and to celebrate with a champagne toast. barcadero, Max Thelen Boardroom, San

SAN FRANCISCO • Location: 110 The Em- Francisco • Time: 5:30 p.m. check-in, 6 barcadero, Taube Family Auditorium, San p.m. program • MLF: Reading Californians Francisco • Time: 5:30 p.m. check-in, 6–8 • Program organizer: Kalena Gregory p.m. program • Notes: Cash bar available

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 4 BOTSWANA: DELTA, DIAMONDS AND DEMOCRACY

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 5

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THE COMMO N WE AL TH

SAN FRANCISCO • Location: 110 The Embarcadero, Toni Rembe Rock Auditorium, San Francisco • Time: 11:30 a.m. check-in, noon program • MLF: Business & Leadership • Program organizer: Elizabeth Carney

NINJA FUTURE: HOW INNOVATION WILL CHANGE OUR LIVES, AND WHAT WE CAN DO TO THRIVE

Gary Shapiro, President and CEO, Con-

RESTORING CLIMATE HEALTH sumer Technology Association; Author, THROUGH INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS Ninja Future (forthcoming)

Peter Fiekowsky, Founder and President, Healthy Climate Alliance; Co-Founder, 300x2050.com Erica Dodds, Executive Director, Healthy Climate Alliance Shamila Singh, Director of Professional Development & Career Services, Presidio Graduate School——Moderator Peter Fiekowsky founded Healthy Climate Alliance with the intention of restoring the climate to its preindustrial climate health. He hopes to accelerate an emerging array of innovations to reduce the level of carbon in the atmosphere and to preserve and rebuild Arctic ice. While reducing emissions is important, he promotes climate restoration as both possible SAN FRANCISCO • Location: 110 The Em- and essential—a strategic business strategy. The barcadero, Toni Rembe Rock Auditorium, Silicon Valley tech entrepreneur and physicist San Francisco • Time: 5:30 p.m. check-in, runs the Healthy Climate Alliance along with 6 p.m. program his daughter Erica Dodds. They will point to Charles Frankel, Honorary Consul General, Republic of Botswana Graham Johansson, Wildlife Photographer, Safari Guide From the Okavango Delta to the Central Kalahari Game Reserve, Botswana draws in wildlife and nature lovers from around the world. It also has one of Africa’s fastest-growing economies and a highly advanced banking system. It has had a democratic government for more than 50 years.

Charles Frankel and Graham Johansson discuss what draws people to Botswana and the factors that contribute to the country’s success relative to the rest of Africa.

matic land- and ocean-based technologies for restoring our climate. They will discuss how companies and individuals can take strides to implement change for a healthier climate, their mission to restore the climate by reducing atmospheric CO2 levels to 300 parts per million and thus “giving our children a healthy climate like our grandparents gave us.”

In Conversation with Moira Gunn, Host, “Tech Nation” and “BioTech Nation” Building on the message of his New York Times best-selling Ninja Innovation, Gary Shapiro casts his eye toward the future, charting how the innovative technologies of today will transform not only the way business is done but will also transform society itself. He will discuss how we can use these technologies to remain competitive in a rapidly evolving world.

Drawing on the insights he has gleaned as a martial arts black belt, he shows how businesses can only thrive in today’s turbulent environment by adopting the mindset of ninjas. They must be able to adapt to change—to capitalize on positive opportunities or overcoming challenging obstacles—at lightning speed.

SAN FRANCISCO • Location: 110 The Embarcadero, Toni Rembe Rock Auditorium, San Francisco • Time: 5:30 p.m. check-in,

For current prices, call 415.597.6705 or go to commonwealthclub.org

6 p.m. program, 7 p.m. book signing • Democrats cemented their supermajorities in scenes tours of our home at 110 The EmbarMLF: Business & Leadership • Program both state legislative chambers and swept state- cadero. Join us for a complimentary tour of organizer: Elizabeth Carney wide offices for the third straight election. our beautiful new headquarters on San Fran-

With the Golden State seemingly slipping from the GOP, what steps should the party REPUBLICANS IN CALIFORNIA: CAN take to regain its foothold and expand its apTHE GOP SURVIVE? peal?

Is a comeback possible in this new era of Catharine Baker, Former California State hyperpolarization?

Three prominent RepubliAssemblymember (R-16) cans will offer their take on where the party Kristin Olsen, Former Minority Leader, can go from here.

California State Assembly; Former California State Assemblymember (R–12); SAN FRANCISCO • Location: 110 The Embarcadero, Taube Family Auditorium, San Supervisor, Stanislaus County Matt Shupe, Managing Partner, Praetori- Francisco • Time: 5:30 p.m. check-in, 6:30 an Public Relations; Communications Di- p.m. program • Notes: Attendees subject rector, John Cox for Governor 2018; Chair- to search man, Contra Costa Republican Party WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 6 Marisa Lagos, Political Reporter, KQED— GOV. CHRIS CHRISTIE: PRESIDENT Moderator Republicans in California are at a crossroads. TRUMP AND POWER POLITICS In a historic midterm election, Republicans Chris Christie, Former Governor, New lost half of their U.S. House delegation while Jersey (2010–2018); Author, Let Me Finish: Trump, the Kushners, Bannon, New Jersey, and the Power of In-Your-Face Politics; Twitter @GovChristie This program is sold out.

As President Trump enters his third year in office, former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie remains one of his closest political allies. The first major elected official to endorse then-candidate Trump, Christie had a ringside seat throughout the hectic 2016 campaign.

Christie was reportedly even close to becoming Trump’s running mate. Days after Trump’s surprise victory, Trump fired Christie as head of his transition team. Recently, Christie almost became Trump’s White House chief of staff but pulled out, saying now is not the right time for him to join the White House.

Christie sets the record straight about his career and his relationship with the president. The brash former prosecutor discusses running a Democratic state, his 15-year relationship with Trump, what he saw during the 2016 campaign and how his removal from the transition all but guaranteed chaos at the beginning of the Trump presidency.

SAN FRANCISCO • Location: 110 The Embarcadero, Taube Family Auditorium, San Francisco • Time: 6:00 p.m. check-in, 6:30 p.m. program, 7:30 p.m. book signing • Notes: Attendees subject to search

COMMONWEALTH CLUB WEEKLY TOUR

Every Wednesday at 2 p.m., we’re giving both members and nonmembers behind-theGov. Chris Christie 2/6

cisco’s waterfront. At our state-of-the-art gathering space, which features a rooftop terrace with unobstructed views of the Bay Bridge and San Francisco Bay, you can learn about our storied history and the many amenities of being a Club member.

Space is limited, so reserve your spot now.

Feel free to call the front desk ahead of time for extra availability.

SAN FRANCISCO • Location: 110 The Embarcadero, Osher Lobby, San Francisco • Time: 1:45 p.m. check-in, 2–3 p.m. tour

WEEK TO WEEK POLITICS ROUNDTABLE 2/6/19

Panelists TB Join us as we discuss the biggest, most controversial and sometimes the surprising political issues with expert commentary by panelists who are smart, are civil and have a good sense of humor. Our panelists will provide informative and engaging commentary on political and other major news; and we’ll have audience discussion of the week’s events and our live news quiz! Come early for our members social hour (open to all attendees).

SAN FRANCISCO • Location: 110 The Embarcadero, Toni Rembe Rock Auditorium, San Francisco • Time: 5:30 p.m. wine-andsnacks social hour, 6:30 p.m. program • Notes: Each attendee will receive 2 free drink tickets for a glass of wine or a soft drink during our social hour

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7 THE MICHELLE MEOW SHOW 2/7/19

Michelle Meow, Host, “The Michelle Meow Show” (Radio and TV); Twitter @ msmichellemeow John Zipperer, Host, Week to Week Political Roundtable, The Commonwealth Club—Co-Host Join us as Michelle Meow brings her long-running daily radio show to The Commonwealth Club one day each week. Meet fascinating—and often controversial—people discussing important issues of interest to the LGBTQ community, and have your questions ready. See commonwealthclub.org/mms for individual program speakers.

SAN FRANCISCO • Location: 110 The Embarcadero, Max Thelen Boardroom, San Francisco • Time: 11:30 a.m. check-in, noon program FEBRUARY/MARCH 2019

35

PRINTING ABOLITION: HOW THE SLAVE TRADE WAS ABOLISHED IN BRITAIN

Michael F. Suarez, S.J., Director, Rare Book School, Professor of English and Honorary Curator of Special Collections, the University of Virginia; Author, The Cambridge History of the Book in Britain, Volume V A renowned historian, author and worldwide leader of rare-book scholarship interests, Suarez will provide us with a compelling, richly illustrated description about how a group of printers was instrumental in making the antislavery movement happen in England.

Their broadside engraving with an image diagramming human cargo on the Brookes, a slave ship, became a force for political change in the worldwide abolitionist movement.

SAN FRANCISCO • Location: 110 The Embarcadero, Toni Rembe Rock Auditorium, San Francisco • Time: 5:30 p.m. check-in, 6 p.m. program • MLF: Arts • Program organizer: Anne W. Smith

IMPERFECT CIRCLES

George Hammond, Author, Conversations with Socrates and Rational Idealism—Moderator Are you the type who never tires in talking or thinking about philosophical, scientific or religious theories? Are you interested in psychological insights, or attempts at such insights, into human life? There are many who would insist that being realistic about human

36

THE COMMO N WE AL TH

life means you should ignore such fundamental questions—starting around the time the ink dries on your diploma. But it is unrealistic to ignore the fundamental explanatory concepts that underlie each successful human civilization—which sometimes help and sometimes hinder us in our pursuit of happiness. Such profound questions are naturally provoked simply by living an alert life.

There are millions of realistic people, of all ages and walks of life, who also find it impossible to delegate to one infallible authority or another the task of providing all the answers to such questions. Life is not totally chaotic, even though it looks that way sometimes. Therefore, it’s helpful to be aware of any subtle patterns to our experiences. Rejoin the continuing conversation of human civilization—this time at The Commonwealth Club.

SAN FRANCISCO • Location: 110 The Embarcadero, Max Thelen Boardroom, San Francisco • Time: 6 p.m. check-in, 6:30 p.m. program • MLF: Humanities • Program organizer: George Hammond

GOPI KALLAYIL: THE HAPPY HUMAN

Gopi Kallayil, Chief Evangelist for Brand Marketing, Google; Author, The Happy Human: Being Real in an Artificially Intelligent World Happiness has become a multi-million-dollar industry, catering to our deep desire to live joyfully, with the expectation that we as human beings deserve to be happy. Gopi Kallayil believes in reversing that equation, focusing on

the need to be human first.

Kallayil will explain why the key to happiness lies in being 100 percent who we are and reveling in our authentic selves, even if that means falling on our faces. By embracing not only our own selves but also the entire human experience, Kallayil inspires us to expect miracles daily, to use every fall as a chance to bounce back, to go for what we want on every front and to live our lives fully.

SILICON VALLEY • Location: Cubberley Community Theatre (near Montrose and Middlefield), 4000 Middlefield Rd., Palo Alto • Time: 6:30 p.m. check-in, 7 p.m. program, 8 p.m. book signing • Notes: In association with the Wharton Club

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 11 LEONARDO’S KNOTS

Caroline Cocciardi, Author, Leonardo’s Knots Monday Night Philosophy gets all tied up in the 500th anniversary of Leonardo da Vinci’s death by asking: What do all of da Vinci’s paintings have in common? Caroline Cocciardi answers that question by exploring Leonardo’s passion for knots and mathematics. She traces Leonardo’s evolution from traditional knots (aesthetically appealing and ornamental) to mathematical knots (patterns that tell a story within his art). Da Vinci’s combined expertise in art and mathematics gave him the unique ability to translate these minuscule, interlaced wonderments into the glorious visual beauty found in his masterpieces: Mona Lisa, La Bel-

Leonardo’s Knots 2/11

For current prices, call 415.597.6705 or go to commonwealthclub.org

One Paycheck Away: Addressing Homelessness in the Bay Area 2/13

la Principessa, Annunciation, The Last Supper, Salvator Mundi, Portrait of Isabella d’Este, and Lady with an Ermine.

SAN FRANCISCO • Location: 110 The Embarcadero, Toni Rembe Rock Auditorium, San Francisco • Time: 5:30 p.m. networking reception, 6 p.m. program, 7 p.m. book signing • MLF: Humanities • Program organizer: George Hammond • Notes: Leonardo’s Knots was developed in collaboration with knot mathematician Rob Scharein, Ph.D.

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 12 EXPLORE THE WORLD FROM THE COMMONWEALTH CLUB

All interested Club members are welcome to attend our bimonthly, one-hour planning meetings of the International Relations member-led forum. We focus on Europe, Latin America, Africa and worldwide topics. Join us to discuss current international issues and to plan programs for 2019.

SAN FRANCISCO • Location: 110 The Embarcadero, Max Thelen Boardroom, San Francisco • Time: 5:30 p.m. program • MLF: International Relations • Program organizer: Linda Calhoun

ROGER MCNAMEE: INSIDE THE FACEBOOK CATASTROPHE

Roger McNamee, Silicon Valley Investor; Co-Founder, Elevation Partners; Technical Advisor, “Silicon Valley”; Author, Zucked (Forthcoming) If you had told Bay Area technology investor Roger McNamee even three years ago that he would soon be devoting himself to stopping Facebook from destroying our democracy, he would have howled with laughter. He had mentored many tech leaders in his career, but few things had made him prouder, or had been better for his own bottom line, than helping Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of the world’s largest social network. Still a large shareholder in Zuckerberg’s creation, McNamee had every good reason to stay on the sidelines as the dark side of Facebook came to light. But he couldn’t stay quiet.

McNamee has set out to try to change the massive social network and other tech companies that use design tools to addict and manipulate its users.

With the election of Donald Trump, and the emergence of one horrific piece of news after another about the malign ends to which the Facebook platform has been put, McNa-

mee has dedicated his energies to trying to get teach us than Rich Gosse? Gosse is the chairpeople to understand the threat of Facebook person of the world’s largest nonprofit singles and other social networks. organization, author of nine books on dating, SAN FRANCISCO • Location: 110 The Em- guest on hundreds of TV shows (including barcadero, Taube Auditorium, San Fran- “Oprah,” CNN, and “The Today Show”), and cisco • Time: 6 p.m. check-in, 6:30 p.m. organizer of thousands of singles parties. program, 7:30 p.m. book signing Gosse will share three techniques for meeting anyone at any time and at any place.

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 13 Equally important, we’ll learn how to feel attractive without resorting to liquid courage, COMMONWEALTH CLUB WEEKLY and how to handle rejection without feeling TOUR Every Wednesday at 2 p.m., we’re giving discouraged. There will also be a flirting conboth members and nonmembers behind-the- test with prizes, where Gosse will crown Mr. scenes tours of our home at 110 The Embar- and Ms. San Francisco Flirt. Compete for the cadero. Join us for a complimentary tour of title or just sit back and enjoy the fun. (The our beautiful new headquarters on San Fran- winner of Gosse’s first San Francisco flirting cisco’s waterfront. At our state-of-the-art gath- contest so impressed Oprah that she flew Ms. ering space, which features a rooftop terrace San Francisco Flirt to Chicago to be on her with unobstructed views of the Bay Bridge talk show.) So stop hugging the wall, a drink and San Francisco Bay, you can learn about or the person you don’t want. Come get advice our storied history and the many amenities of from Gosse, and become the man or woman everyone wants to meet. being a Club member.

SAN FRANCISCO • Location: 110 The Em- SAN FRANCISCO • Location: 110 The Embarcadero, Osher Lobby, San Francisco • barcadero, Toni Rembe Rock Auditorium, San Francisco • Time: 5:30 p.m. check-in, Time: 1:45 p.m. check-in, 2–3 p.m. tour 6 p.m. program, 7 p.m. book signing and socializing • MLF: Personal Growth • ProTHE ART OF FLIRTING Rich Gosse, Chairperson, Society of gram organizer: Eric Siegel

Single Professionals; Executive Director, the International Association of Dating Websites; Founder, ThePartyHotline. com; Author; The Donald Trump Syndrome: Why Women Choose the Wrong Men to Love Don’t let shyness prevent you from meeting your valentine! In today’s world of apps and texting, the delightful, seductive art of flirtation has been lost—so much the better for those who know its secrets. And who better to

ONE PAYCHECK AWAY: ADDRESSING HOMELESSNESS IN THE BAY AREA

Panelists TBA Every night, more than 130,000 people go to sleep homeless in California. An estimated 25,000 of them are in the San Francisco Bay Area: sleeping on couches, in cars or sometimes in tents on the sidewalk. At this point, people from coast to coast know that the Bay Area is in the midst of a housing crisis. But FEBRUARY/MARCH 2019

37

Helping Refugees, Welcoming the Stranger 2/15

what is the city doing to address the affordable housing and homelessness crisis?

Come hear from some of the Bay Area’s leading experts on issues surrounding homelessness. From working on the service and legal sides to fighting for policy changes to having experienced homelessness themselves, our speakers will discuss the state of the crisis, how we got here and where we’re headed next.

SAN FRANCISCO • Location: 110 The Embarcadero, Taube Family Auditorium, San Francisco • Time: 5:30 p.m. check-in, 6:30 p.m. program • Notes: This event is the latest in the San Francisco Foundation’s series on People, Place and Power

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14 CHINATOWN WALKING TOUR

Enjoy a Commonwealth Club neighborhood adventure. Join Rick Evans for a memorable midday walk and discover the history and mysteries of Chinatown. Explore colorful alleys and side streets. Visit a Taoist temple, an herbal MODERN LOVE: INFORUM’S store, the site of the first public school in the ANNUAL VALENTINE’S DAY PARTY Daniel Jones, Editor, The New York state and the famous Fortune Cookie Factory.

SAN FRANCISCO • Location: Starbucks, Times’ “Modern Love” 359 Grant Ave., San Francisco (corner of Jess Carbino, Ph.D., Sociologist, Bumble Grant and Bush, near Chinatown Gate) • Additional Speakers TBA Join INFORUM for our annual Valentine’s Time: 9:45 a.m. check-in, 10–12:30 p.m.

Day event and party, with a multifaceted conwalk • Notes: The temple visit requires versation about love. Guests include Daniel walking up three flights of stairs; the tour Jones, editor of The New York Times’ famous operates rain or shine; limited to 12 par“Modern Love” column, and Dr. Jess Carbino, ticipants; tickets must be purchased in sociologist for Bumble, the dating, friendship advance and will not be sold at check-in; and networking app. walks with fewer than six participants will Expect a discussion of love, sex, culture, the be canceled (you will receive notification complex subjects we navigate in relationships, of this at least three days in advance.) and more. Come early and stay afterward for THE MICHELLE MEOW SHOW 2/14/19 drinks, snacks, activities and a chance to keep Michelle Meow, Host, “The Michelle the conversation flowing. Thanks to Fort Point Meow Show” (Radio and TV); Twitter @ Beer and Rudd Winery for their support.

Aisha Wahab, Afghan-American Human Rights Activist; Hayward City Councilmember Michael Pappas, Executive Director, SF Interfaith Council—Moderator The Middle East member-led forum presents a distinguished panel including Hassan El-Masri, a Palestinian who volunteers to help refugee artists throughout the world; Karaman Mamand, a Kurdish Iraqi educator and human rights activist; Karen Ferguson, executive director of the Northern California branch of the International Rescue Committee, which provides comprehensive services for refugees whose lives are shattered by conflict and disaster; and Aisha Wahab, who was recently elected to the Hayward City Council and is one of the first Afghan-American officials elected in the United States. The panel SAN FRANCISCO • Location: 110 The Em- will discuss how we can help refugees and msmichellemeow John Zipperer, Host, Week to Week Po- barcadero, Taube Family Auditorium, San welcome the stranger in the face of war, strife, litical Roundtable, The Commonwealth Francisco • Time: 5:30 p.m. check-in and indifference and travel bans. reception, 6:30 program followed by re- SAN FRANCISCO • Location: 110 The EmClub—Co-Host Join us as Michelle Meow brings her ception • Notes: In collaboration with The barcadero, Toni Rembe Rock Auditorium, San Francisco • Time: 11:30 a.m. check-in, long-running daily radio show to The Com- New York Times noon program • MLF: Middle East • Promonwealth Club one day each week. Meet FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 15 gram organizer: Celia Menczel fascinating—and often controversial—people HELPING REFUGEES, WELCOMING discussing important issues of interest to the TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 19 LGBTQ community, and have your questions THE STRANGER ready. See commonwealthclub.org/mms for indi- Hassan El-Masri, Volunteer, Filmmaker GARY SNYDER, PETER GOIN AND Karaman Mamand, Doctor of Juridical DOOBY LANE vidual program speakers.

SAN FRANCISCO • Location: 110 The Science in International Legal Systems Gary Snyder, Pulitzer Prize-Winning Embarcadero, Max Thelen Boardroom, Karen Ferguson, Ph.D., Clinical Psychol- Poet, Environmental Activist; ProfesSan Francisco • Time: 11:30 a.m. check-in, ogist; Executive Director, the Interna- sor of English, UC Davis; Co-Author, noon program tional Rescue Committee Dooby Lane

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For current prices, call 415.597.6705 or go to commonwealthclub.org

Peter Goin, Photography Professor, the University of Nevada; Co-Author, Dooby Lane In Conversation with Jack Shoemaker, Editorial Director and Vice President, Counterpoint Press; Professor of Art in Photography, the University of Nevada; Author, Nuclear Landscapes Featuring the lively art and wit of the ever-popular activist Gary Snyder and Peter Goin, this program is a conversation, reading and slideshow. It will be followed by a book signing of their latest collaboration, Dooby Lane: Also Known as Guru Road, A Testament inscribed in Stone Tablets by DeWayne Williams.

SAN FRANCISCO • Location: 110 The Embarcadero, Toni Rembe Rock Auditorium, San Francisco • Time: 5:30 p.m. check-in, 6 p.m. program, 7 p.m. book signing • MLF: Arts • Program organizer: Anne W. Smith

HOWARD SCHULTZ, FORMER CEO OF STARBUCKS

Howard Schultz, Former CEO and Chairman, Starbucks; Author, From the Ground Up: A Journey to Reimagine the Promise of America (Forthcoming) From the start of his career, former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz has always been an unconventional businessman. With health insurance and free college tuition for part-time baristas to controversial initiatives about race and refugees, Schultz and his team challenge old notions about the role of business in society.

In his new book, Schultz tackles some of America’s most important and divisive issues.

Schultz introduces a cross-section of Americans transforming common struggles into shared successes. He discusses inspirational stories about lost youth finding first jobs, post-9/11 warriors replacing lost limbs with indomitable spirit, former coal miners and opioid addicts paving fresh paths, entrepreneurs jump-starting dreams and better angels emerging from all corners of the country.

SAN FRANCISCO • Location: Herbst Theatre, 401 Van Ness Ave., San Francisco • Time: 5:30 p.m. check-in, 6:30 p.m. program

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 20 COMMONWEALTH CLUB WEEKLY TOUR

Every Wednesday at 2 p.m., we’re giving both members and nonmembers behind-thescenes tours of our home at 110 The Embarcadero. Join us for a complimentary tour of

our beautiful new headquarters on San Francisco’s waterfront. At our state-of-the-art gathering space, which features a rooftop terrace with unobstructed views of the Bay Bridge and San Francisco Bay, you can learn about our storied history and the many amenities of being a Club member.

as giant trusts did during the Gilded Age. He asserts that we must thus learn from the progressive policies of the past to overcome the consequences of extreme inequality today.

SAN FRANCISCO • Location: 110 The Embarcadero, Taube Family Auditorium, San Francisco • Time: 5:30 p.m. check-in, 6:30 SAN FRANCISCO • Location: 110 The Em- p.m. program, 7:30 p.m. book signing • barcadero, Osher Lobby, San Francisco • Notes: This program is generously supTime: 1:45 p.m. check-in, 2–3 p.m. tour ported by the Ken and Jackie Broad Family Fund; all tickets include a copy of Tim INCREASING HOUSING OPTIONS Wu’s book The Curse of Bigness

FOR PEOPLE IN THE MIDDLE

Laura Foote, Executive Director, YIMBY Action Kristy Wang, Community Planning Policy Director, SPUR Shelly Sutherland, San Francisco Realtor, Compass—Moderator For the average income earner, obtaining a comfortable place to live seems out of reach.

Some people travel great distances to get to their jobs. Others live in a crowded household in order to afford the rent or mortgage. To many, building more housing seems to be the logical goal, but where and what type?

SAN FRANCISCO • Location: 110 The Embarcadero, Toni Rembe Rock Auditorium, San Francisco • Time: 4:45 p.m. check-in, 5:15 p.m. program • MLF: Grownups • Program organizer: John Milford

TIM WU: INSIDE TECH MONOPOLIES

Tim Wu, Professor, Columbia Law School; Author, The Curse of Bigness: Antitrust in the New Gilded Age; Twitter @superwuster What are the implications of a few massive firms controlling global industry? Tim Wu endeavors to answer this question by linking together big business, inequality and political extremism.

Wu argues the failure to curb excessive corporate power has led to greater tolerance of inequality and might even engender extreme populism, nationalism and fascism.

Wu believes excessive corporate power poses a great threat to the health of American democracy, just

Howard Shultz, Former CEO of Starbucks 2/19

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 21 THE MICHELLE MEOW SHOW 2/21/19

Michelle Meow, Host, “The Michelle Meow Show” (Radio and TV); Twitter @ msmichellemeow John Zipperer, Host, Week to Week Political Roundtable, The Commonwealth Club—Co-Host

Join us as Michelle Meow brings her long-running daily radio show to The Commonwealth Club one day each week. Meet fascinating—and often controversial—people discussing important issues of interest to the LGBTQ community, and have your questions ready. See commonwealthclub.org/mms for individual program speakers.

SAN FRANCISCO • Location: 110 The Embarcadero, Max Thelen Boardroom, San Francisco • Time: 11:30 a.m. check-in, noon program

THE KARDASHIAN-FREE CONVERSATION CLUB

Charles DeLoach, Host and Moderator, “Kardashian Free-Conversation Club”;

Aspiring Politician Zack Zbar, Host and Moderator, “Kardashian Free-Conversation Club” This program is for all curious members of society who are eager for civil peer-to-peer discussion but concerned with the lack of such discussion in our busy everyday lives. Every third Thursday of the month, the Kardashian-Free Conversation Club offers a chance to meet with your peers and talk through the things that really matter.

Before the event, members elect a single news topic to focus on. When a topic is chosen, the moderators will send out relevant materials, including podcasts, news articles, short documentaries and an easy-to-read fact sheet with the bare necessities. Then we’ll get

together for an evening of light food, wine and enlightening small group discussions. Bring your curiosity, your ideas and the desire to talk about anything but the Kardashians.

SAN FRANCISCO • Location: 110 The Embarcadero, Max Thelen Boardroom, San Francisco • Time: 5:30 p.m. check-in, 6–7:45 p.m. program • MLF: Humanities • Program organizer: George Hammond

SALVATOR MUNDI

Martin Kemp, Professor Emeritus of the History of Art, Oxford University, Author, Living with Leonardo Salvator Mundi, one of fewer than 20 paintings created by Leonardo da Vinci, was purchased for $10,000 in 2005 at an auction in New Orleans. The painting’s unclear provenance and heavy overpainting hid its true value. After restoration, it sold for $75 million in 2013, and for $450 million at Christie’s in 2017.

As the 500th anniversary of Leonardo da Vinci’s death approaches, join us to hear da Vinci expert Martin Kemp delve into the enduring fascination aroused by da Vinci’s artistic achievements and personality. Kemp will tell of the discovery of Salvator Mundi, elucidate the issues surrounding its attribution, look at the scientific analyses that support experts’ interpretations and examine the role of connoisseurship.

SAN FRANCISCO • Location: 110 The Embarcadero, Toni Rembe Rock Auditorium, San Francisco • Time: 5:30 p.m. check-in, 6 p.m. program, 7 p.m. book signing • MLF: Humanities • Program organizer: George Hammond

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 22 PARAG KHANNA: UNDERSTANDING THE ASIAN CENTURY

Parag Khanna, Ph.D., Managing Partner, FutureMap; Former Fellow, Brookings Institution and New America; Author, The Future Is Asian: Commerce, Conflict and Culture in the 21st Century In Conversation with Margaret Conley, Executive Director, Asia Society of Northern California Parag Khanna says there is no more important region of the world for us to better understand than Asia, and we cannot afford to keep getting Asia so wrong. He says Asia’s complexity has led to common misdiagnoses, namely that Western thinking on Asia conflates the entire region with China, predicts imminent

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For current prices, call 415.597.6705 or go to commonwealthclub.org

World War III around every corner and regularly forecasts debt-driven collapse for the region’s major economies. Khanna says that, in reality, the region is experiencing a confident new wave of growth led by younger societies from India to the Philippines, that nationalist leaders have put aside territorial disputes in favor of integration, and today’s infrastructure investments are the platform for the next generation of digital innovation.

Khanna asserts that in the 19th century, the world was Europeanized; in the 20th century, it was Americanized; and now, in the 21st century, the world is being Asianized.

SAN FRANCISCO • Location: 110 The Embarcadero, San Francisco • Time: 11 a.m. check-in, noon program, 1 p.m. book signing • Notes: In association with the Asia Society of Northern California, the Bay Area Council Economic Institute, the McKinsey Global Institute and TiE Silicon Valley

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 25 THE CHOICE: EMBRACE THE POSSIBLE

Edith Eva Eger, Ph.D., Clinical Psychologist, Lecturer A native of Hungary, Edith Eva Eger was just 16 years old in 1944 when she experienced one of the worst evils the human race has ever known. As a Jew living in Nazi-occupied Eastern Europe, she and her family were sent to Auschwitz. Her parents lost their lives there.

She and her sister survived even though they were subjected to horrible treatment by Josef Mengele and endured the death march from Poland to Austria.

In the fall of 2017, at the age of 90, her memoir The Choice: Embrace the Possible was published. The book focuses on moving forward in light of hardship. The New York Times Book Review wrote, “Eger’s book is a triumph, and should be read by all who care about both their inner freedom and the future of humanity.”

SAN FRANCISCO • Location: 110 The Embarcadero, Toni Rembe Rock Auditorium, San Francisco • Time: 4:45 p.m. check-in, 5:15 p.m. program • MLF: Psychology • Program organizer: Patrick O’Reilly

MIDDLE EAST FORUM DISCUSSION

The Middle East Forum discussion group, which primarily covers the Middle East, North Africa and Afghanistan, has been meeting monthly for about 10 years.

Parag Khana 2/22

We are not a debate group. We discuss timely SAN FRANCISCO • Location: 110 The Emcultural subjects in a civil atmosphere with re- barcadero, Taube Family Auditorium, San Francisco • Time: 6 p.m. check-in, 6:30 spect for others and their opinions.

SAN FRANCISCO • Location: 110 The Em- p.m. program, 7:30 p.m. book signing barcadero, Max Thelen Board Room, San • Notes: Lévy photo by Jean Christophe Francisco • Time: 4:30 p.m. check-in, 5 Marmara, Figarophoto p.m. program • MLF: Middle East • ProTUESDAY, FEBRUARY 26 gram organizer: Celia Menczel

BERNARD-HENRI LÉVY

Bernard-Henri Lévy, French Philosopher; Journalist; Filmmaker; Public Intellectual; Author, The Empire and the Five Kings (Forthcoming) The United States was once the hope of the world, a beacon of freedom and the defender of liberal democracy. Nations and peoples on all continents looked to America to stand up for the values that created the Western world and to oppose autocracy and repression. Even when America did not live up to its ideals, it still recognized their importance at home and abroad.

But Bernard-Henri Lévy argues America is retreating from its traditional leadership role, and in its place have come five ambitious powers, former empires eager to assert their primacy and influence. Lévy shows how these five powers—Russia, China, Turkey, Iran and Sunni radical Islamism—are taking steps to undermine the liberal values that have been a hallmark of western civilization.

ETHICAL AND SPIRITUAL IMPACTS OF LEARNING FAMILY SECRETS

Bill Griffeth, Co-Anchor, “Nightly Business Report,” CNBC; Author, The Stranger in My Genes: A Memoir Margaret McLean, Ph.D., Director of Bioethics, Markkula Center for Applied Ethics Thomas Plante, Ph.D., Augustin Cardinal Bea SJ Professor of Psychology, Santa Clara University; Adjunct Clinical Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine Be careful what you wish for. Bill Griffeth thought a DNA test would be a fun way to expand his genealogy hobby. Instead of learning interesting information about his ancestry, he made a shocking discovery that led to many ethical and spiritual dilemmas.

Griffeth’s experience is one of thousands of existential crisis stories that have cropped up as DNA testing has become more popular and accessible. Join our panel as they discuss the ethical and spiritual aspects of DNA testing and the family secrets it can uncover.

SILICON VALLEY • Location: Wiegand Room, Arts and Sciences Building, Santa Clara University, 500 El Camino Real • Time: noon program, 1 p.m. book signing • Notes: In association with SV Reads, the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics, the Ignatian Center for Jesuit Education Technology and The Human Spirit Initiative

THE MASTER PLAN

Chris Wilson, Owner and Founder, Barclay Investment Corporation and the House of DaVinci; Co-author, The Master Plan Chris Wilson offers a fresh perspective on our criminal justice system, on crucial issues of mass incarceration and the importance of second chances. Growing up in Washington, D.C., Wilson was surrounded by violence and despair. He feared for his life as his family was shattered by trauma, his neighborhood was FEBRUARY/MARCH 2019

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beset by drugs and his friends died one by one.

One night when he was 17, Wilson was cornered by two men. He shot one of them, killing him. A year later, at 18, he was sentenced to life in prison with no hope of parole. Wilson writes, “I just got on this planet. I don’t even have a mustache yet. And my life is over.”

But his life wasn’t over. Behind bars, Wilson began reading, working out and learning languages. He even started a business. He wrote a list of things he intended to accomplish. He called it his master plan. He revised it regularly and followed it religiously. And, in his 30s, Wilson did the impossible: He convinced a judge to reduce his sentence. Six years later, he came out of jail determined to teach others about the selflessness, work ethic and professional skills that led to his second chance.

SAN FRANCISCO • Location: 110 The Embarcadero, Toni Rembe Rock Auditorium, San Francisco • Time: 5:30 p.m. networking reception, 6 p.m. program, 7 p.m. book signing • MLF: Humanities • Program organizer: George Hammond • Notes: This program is part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation.

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 27 JILL ABRAMSON

Jill Abramson, Former Executive Editor, The New York Times; Author, Merchants of Truth: The Business of News and the Fight for Facts; Twitter @JillAbramson Jill Abramson takes readers deep into the story of the news business, fighting for survival through a series of crises—first the digital revolution and then the president’s unprecedented war on the press.

Abramson profiles four powerful news organizations as they grapple with upheaval: Buzzfeed and Vice, upstarts that captivated young audiences, and The New York Times and The Washington Post, legacy papers that were slow to adapt to digital changes. Each struggled with crises in business, technology, resources and credibility. As these forces clashed, the only certainty each organization confronted was radical change.

SAN FRANCISCO • Location: 110 The Embarcadero, Taube Family Auditorium, San Francisco • Time: 11:30 a.m. checkin, noon program, 1 p.m. book signing • Notes: Abramson photo by Simon Leigh

COMMONWEALTH CLUB WEEKLY TOUR

Every Wednesday at 2 p.m., we’re giving members and nonmembers behind-the-scenes tours of our home at 110 The Embarcadero. Join us for a complimentary tour of our beautiful new headquarters on San Francisco’s waterfront. At our state-of-the-art gathering space, which features a rooftop terrace with unobstructed views of the Bay Bridge and San Francisco Bay, you can learn about our storied history and the many amenities of being a Club member.

Space is limited, so reserve your spot now to visit San Francisco’s newest—and oldest—cultural treasure at our new location. Feel free to call the front desk ahead of time for extra availability.

SAN FRANCISCO • Location: 110 The Embarcadero, Osher Lobby, San Francisco • Time: 1:45 p.m. check-in, 2–3 p.m. tour

HEALTH & MEDICINE MEMBER-LED FORUM PLANNING MEETING

This is a meeting to plan MLF programs for 2019. Anyone with an interest in health or medicine top-

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ics is invited to attend and participate in the planning.

SAN FRANCISCO • Location: 110 The Embarcadero, Max Thelen Boardroom, San Francisco • Time: 4 p.m. program • MLF: Heath & Medicine • Program organizer: Bill Grant

THINKING THAT GETS RESULTS

Steven Campbell, Professor; Speaker; Author, Making Your Mind Magnificent; Host, “Making Your Mind Magnificent,” KOWS Steven Campbell’s talk is an eye-opening presentation on cognitive psychology, which began in the 1960s. He explores how our brains conform to the messages we give them.

When we optimize those messages, our brains literally rewire themselves to create new, positive self-images of who we want to be and how we want to learn and grow even more.

However, Campbell’s presentation does not stop there. Since we are not thinking people who feel but feeling people who think, we also explore where those feelings are coming from. It turns out that our feelings do not primarily come from how we were raised or what has happened to us. Instead, they come from our beliefs about how we were raised and our beliefs about what has happened to us. By first learning that when we change our beliefs, our feelings follow, we learn how to change those beliefs.

It’s not magic . . . it’s science!

SAN FRANCISCO • Location: 110 The Embarcadero, Toni Rembe Rock Auditorium, San Francisco • Time: 4:45 p.m. check-in, 5:15 p.m. program • MLF: Grownups • Program organizer: Denise Michaud

BRAVE, NOT PERFECT, WITH RESHMA SAUJANI

Reshma Saujani, Founder and CEO, Girls Who Code; Author, Brave, Not Perfect (Forthcoming) How many of us go crazy trying to do it all and do it all perfectly? How many obsess over tiny errors and avoid taking on big opportunities or challenges for fear of failing or embarrassing ourselves? Why is failure, big or small, not seen as a viable option for so many of us?

Saujani asks us to rethink what our goals are supposed to look like and instead live life boldly, assuring us that it is more powerful to find something unexpected in the mistakes than it is to play it safe. Join us as Saujani offers stories from other brave women, shares best practices

For current prices, call 415.597.6705 or go to commonwealthclub.org

Financing the Future of Water 2/28

find on foot!

SAN FRANCISCO • Location: Galleria Park Hotel, 191 Sutter St., San Francisco • Time: 1:45 p.m. check-in, 2–4:30 p.m. walk • Notes: The tour involves walking up and down stairs but covers less than one mile of walking in the Financial District; the tour operates rain or shine; limited to 20 participants; tickets must be purchased in advance and will not be sold at check-in; walks with fewer than six participants will be canceled (you will receive notification of this at least three days in advance)

FINANCING THE FUTURE OF WATER

for making bravery the new standard for wom- County Office of Education, DeAnza Colen across the country and details her own jour- lege and the San Jose Public Library ney in getting there.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 28

SAN FRANCISCO • Location: 110 The Embarcadero, Taube Family Auditorium, San THE MICHELLE MEOW SHOW 2/28/19 Francisco • Time: 5:30 p.m. check-in, 6:30 Michelle Meow, Host, “The Michelle p.m. program Meow Show” (Radio and TV); Twitter @

SV READS 2019: FINDING IDENTITY IN FAMILY HISTORY, WITH BILL GRIFFETH AND PAULA WILLIAMS MADISON

Bill Griffeth, Co-Anchor, “Nightly Business Report,” CNBC; Author, The Stranger in My Genes: A Memoir Paula Williams Madison, Author, Finding Samuel Lowe: China, Jamaica, Harlem Sal Pizarro, Columnist, The Mercury News—Moderator Everyone has a family history—some of it they know, and some of it they have yet to discover. The surging popularity of genealogy research is encouraging more and more people to find out about their ancestors and how their actions and decisions affected who they are today. Bill Griffeth and Paula Williams Madison will share their own personal stories and the shocking discoveries they made as they learned more about their family histories.

SILICON VALLEY • Location: De Anza Visual and Performing Arts Center, 21250 Stevens Creek Blvd., Cupertino • Time: 7:30 p.m. program, 8:30 p.m. book signing • Notes: In association with Santa Clara County Library District, Santa Clara

Cynthia Koehler, Executive Director, WaterNow Alliance; Water Attorney and Policy Expert; Former Senior Water Attorney, the Environmental Defense Fund; Former Legal Director, Save the Bay; Recipient, the Bay Institute’s Hero of the Bay Award For most Americans, water will be the primary delivery system through which they personally experience the effects of climate changes: drought, floods, storm water and wastewater discharges. Horror stories abound about the massive infrastructure costs needed to address these potential catastrophic issues. But the reality is that we have solutions that are both environmentally sustainable and affordable.

Cynthia Koehler will explore new options to finance and scale investments for localized consumer- and neighborhood-created strategies that ensure a resilient future for water flow.

These options should be capable of providing safe, clean, reliable water for everyone.

msmichellemeow John Zipperer, Host, Week to Week Political Roundtable, The Commonwealth Club—Co-Host Join us as Michelle Meow brings her long-running daily radio show to The Commonwealth Club one day each week. Meet fascinating—and often controversial—people discussing important issues of interest to the LGBTQ community, and have your questions ready.

SAN FRANCISCO • Location: 110 The EmSAN FRANCISCO • Location: 110 The Embarcadero, Max Thelen Boardroom, San Francisco • Time: 11:30 a.m. check-in, noon program

SAN FRANCISCO ARCHITECTURE WALKING TOUR

Explore San Francisco’s Financial District with historian Rick Evans and learn the history and stories behind some of our city’s remarkable structures, streets and public squares. Hear about the famous architects who influenced the building of San Francisco after the 1906 earthquake. Discover hard-tofind rooftop gardens, art deco lobbies, unique open spaces and historic landmarks. This is a tour for locals, with hidden gems you can only

barcadero, Toni Rembe Rock Auditorium, San Francisco • Time: 5:30 p.m. check-in, 6 p.m. program • MLF: Environment & Natural Resources • Program organizer: Ann Clark

WHAT A DECLINE OF HEGEMONY IN THE AMERICAS PORTENDS FOR THE U.S. GLOBALLY

Julio Moreno, Ph.D., Professor, History Department, University of San Francisco; Author, Yankee Don’t Go Home; Co-Author, Reflections; Contributing Author and Co-Editor, Beyond the Eagle’s Shadow Thomas O’Keefe, Lecturer, Stanford University; President, Mercosur ConFEBRUARY/MARCH 2019

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sulting Group; Author, Bush II, Obama, and the Decline of U.S. Hegemony in the Western Hemisphere Julio Moreno and Thomas O’Keefe debate the current state of U.S. hegemony in Latin America and the Caribbean, a region where the United States first made its appearance as a world power in the late 19th century. In his new book, Bush II, Obama, and the Decline of U.S. Hegemony in the Western Hemisphere, O’Keefe assets that U.S. economic dominance and leadership in the Americas has been in noticeable decline since the start of the 21st century. In his recent co-authored book, Beyond the Eagle’s Shadow, Moreno posits that even at its height during the Cold War, U.S. power and influence in the Western hemisphere was often contested and never complete.

controversial and sometimes the surprising political issues with expert commentary by panelists who are smart, are civil and have a good sense of humor. Our panelists will provide informative and engaging commentary on political and other major news, and we’ll have audience discussion of the week’s events and our live news quiz!

And come early before the program to meet other smart and engaged individuals and discuss the news over snacks and wine at our members social (open to all attendees).

Internet. Is this necessary? Robert Lustig will answer five key questions: Is there such a thing as tech addiction? Is it similar to or different than drug addiction? Does technology lead to depression and suicide? Have our minds been hacked? Are children at more risk?

The answers to these questions will provide us with a blueprint to harnessing technology for good.

Professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Endocrinology and the Institute for Health Policy Studies, UC San Francisco Everyone is looking down—but especially kids. There is something unnatural about a 15-month-old using an iPad to soothe him or herself. Many assume this is just the natural progression of our high-tech society. But what if this is causing us harm? And what if children are more vulnerable than adults? Numerous politicians are calling for reining in the

ter the Holocaust, he was startled to discover swastikas hidden beneath the furniture in his new home. These symbols of Nazi Germany were remnants of the residence’s forgotten history and evidence that we never live far from the past.

Eisen’s The Last Palace chronicles the upheavals that transformed the continent over the past century. Weaving in the life of Eisen’s own mother to demonstrate how those without power and privilege moved through history, The Last Palace tells the dramatic and surprisingly cyclical tale of the triumph of liberal democracy.

SAN FRANCISCO • Location: 110 The Embarcadero, Toni Rembe Rock Auditorium, San Francisco • Time: 4:45 p.m. check-in, SAN FRANCISCO • Location: 110 The Em- 5:15 p.m. program • MLF: Psychology • barcadero, Toni Rembe Rock Auditorium, Program organizer: Patrick O’Reilly San Francisco • Time: 5:30 p.m. checkin and social hour, 6:30 p.m. program • NORMAN EISEN Notes: Each attendee will receive 2 free Norman Eisen, Former U.S. Ambassadrink tickets for a glass of wine or a soft dor to the Czech Republic (2011–2014); SAN FRANCISCO • Location: 110 The drink during our social hour Author, The Last Palace: Europe’s TurEmbarcadero, Max Thelen Boardroom, bulent Century in Five Lives and One MONDAY, MARCH 4 San Francisco • Time: 5:30 p.m. check-in, Legendary House; Twitter @NormEisen 6 p.m. program • MLF: International Re- THE HACKING OF THE AMERICAN When Norman Eisen moved into the lations • Program organizer: Linda Cal- CHILD U.S. ambassador’s residence in Prague, rehoun Robert H. Lustig, M.D., MSL, Emeritus turning to the land his mother had fled af-

7 ANNIVERSARY: WEEK TO WEEK POLITICS ROUNDTABLE TH

Dan Schnur, Professor, University of Southern California Annenberg School of Communications; Twitter @danschnur Additional Panelists TBA We’ve just completed seven years of Week to Week, and you’re invited to join us for the celebration as we kick off our eighth year!

As usual, we will discuss the biggest, most

SAN FRANCISCO • Location: 110 The Embarcadero, Taube Family Auditorium, San Francisco • Time: 6 p.m. check-in, 6:30 p.m. program, 7:30 p.m. book signing • Notes: Part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation

TUESDAY, MARCH 5 THE SNOW CLOWN: CARTWHEELS ON BORDERS FROM ALASKA TO NEBRASKA

Jeff Raz, Performer, Cirque du Soleil and Pickle Family Circus; Author, The Secret Life of Clowns and The Snow Clown; Playwright, “Father-Land” The Bay Area’s Jeff Raz presents an entertaining, inside view of his life on the road and at home as a clown, actor, teacher and playwright. Raz explores both ridiculous and

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For current prices, call 415.597.6705 or go to commonwealthclub.org

profound revelations in his second book about a decades-long clowning career, The Snow Clown: Cartwheels on Borders from Alaska to Nebraska. He notes that as a teacher, a consultant and a medical clown, it takes practice and skill to ask good questions and to be quiet and acknowledge the other person in ways that build rapport.

Join us for a discussion on Raz’s life as a performer and the connections he’s made thus far.

SAN FRANCISCO • Location: 110 The Embarcadero, Toni Rembe Rock Auditorium, San Francisco • Time: 5:30 p.m. check-in, 6 p.m. program, 7 p.m. book signing • MLF: Arts • Program organizer: Anne W. Smith

aging parents and loved ones to remain safely Francisco • Time: 11 a.m. check-in, noon program at home.

SAN FRANCISCO • Location: 110 The Embarcadero, Toni Rembe Rock Auditorium, THE MICHELLE MEOW SHOW 3/7/19 San Francisco • Time: 4:45 p.m. check-in, Michelle Meow, Host, “The Michelle 5:15 p.m. program • MLF: Grownups • Meow Show” (Radio and TV); Twitter Program organizer: Denise Michaud @msmichellemeow

THURSDAY, MARCH 7 GIVING YOUTH A VOICE

Chuck Collins, President and CEO, YMCA of San Francisco—Moderator Panelists TBA Come for a gathering of San Francisco business leaders and philanthropists. They will discuss the importance of—and need for—giving youth a voice, enabling them to make change WEDNESDAY, MARCH 6 happen in their own communities. The conCOMMONWEALTH CLUB versation will focus on the disparities that exist for our youth and families and how local enWEEKLY TOUR Every Wednesday at 2 p.m., we’re giving tities are working to close the gap in health, members and nonmembers behind-the-scenes education and access to the outdoors. tours of our home at 110 The Embarcade- SAN FRANCISCO • Location: 110 The Emro. Join us for a complimentary tour of our barcadero, Taube Family Auditorium, San beautiful new headquarters on San Francisco’s waterfront. At our state-of-the-art gathering space, which features a rooftop terrace with unobstructed views of the Bay Bridge and San Francisco Bay, you can learn about our storied history and the many amenities of being a Club member.

Space is limited, so reserve your spot now to visit San Francisco’s newest—and oldest—cultural treasure at our new location. Feel free to call the front desk ahead of time for extra availability.

SAN FRANCISCO • Location: 110 The Embarcadero, Osher Lobby, San Francisco • Time: 1:45 p.m. check-in, 2–3 p.m. tour

THE PERSONAL SIDE OF HOME CARE

Frank Billante, Owner, Home Instead San Francisco; Board Member, Italian Community Services and Italian Heritage Day Celebration Alessandra Billante, Director of Care Management, Home Instead San Francisco New technology is constantly being developed for home care. What solutions work best, and how can technology successfully enhance the very personal side of home care?

We will explore how to find the right balance between using and not using technology with home care. This technology might allow your The Snow Clown 3/5

John Zipperer, Host, Week to Week Political Roundtable, The Commonwealth Club—Co-Host Join us as Michelle Meow brings her long-running daily radio show to The Commonwealth Club one day each week. Meet fascinating—and often controversial—people discussing important issues of interest to the LGBTQ community, and have your questions ready. Check commonwealthclub.org/mms for details.

SAN FRANCISCO • Location: 110 The Embarcadero, Max Thelen Boardroom, San Francisco • Time: 11:30 a.m. check-in, noon program

IMPERFECT CIRCLES

George Hammond, Author, Conversations with Socrates and Rational Idealism—Moderator Are you the type who never tires in talking or thinking about philosophical, scientific or religious theories? Are you interested in psychological insights, or attempts at such insights, into human life?

There are many who would insist that being realistic about human life means you should ignore such fundamental questions—starting around the time the ink dries on your diploma.

But it is unrealistic to ignore the fundamental explanatory concepts that underlie each successful human civilization—which sometimes help and sometimes hinder us in our pursuit of happiness. Such profound questions are naturally provoked simply by living an alert life.

There are millions of realistic people, of all ages and walks of life, who also find it impossible to delegate to one infallible authority or another the task of providing all the answers to such questions. Life is not totally chaotic, even though it looks that way sometimes. Therefore, it’s helpful to be aware any subtle patFEBRUARY/MARCH 2019

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Jeremiah’s Philosophical Argument with Jehovah 3/11

terns to our experiences. Rejoin the continuing tions with Socrates conversation of human civilization—this time Monday Night Philosophy analyzes the bibat The Commonwealth Club. lical roots of philosophical inquiry. Accepting SAN FRANCISCO • Location: 110 The Em- your divinely ordained lot in life, as Job did barcadero, Max Thelen Boardroom, San (but ironically Lot did not), is often lauded in Francisco • Time: 6 p.m. check-in, 6:30 the Bible. A few dared negotiate with Jehovah p.m. program • MLF: Humanities • Pro- (Abraham, Lot and Moses), and quite a few gram organizer: George Hammond even tried to outsmart omniscience. But Jeremiah makes it clear he has a problem with the FRIDAY, MARCH 8 whole prophetic game, even as he was fulfilling his role as the messenger of dire and accurate SECOND ANNUAL WOMEN’S prophecies. One element of his argument with LUNCHEON On International Women’s Day, The Com- Jehovah involves his passionate complaints monwealth Club is excited to host the second about the uselessness of delivering precise but annual women’s luncheon to honor some of unpatriotic predictions. Even more fundamenthe Club’s first women members, who were tally, Jeremiah’s hope for a future where orgafirst allowed to join in the 1970s, and bring nized religion disappears, along with its crucial them together with younger members, friends concepts of sin and punishment, expresses his of the Club and Bay Area community leaders. emotional frustration with the ineffectiveness This will be an opportunity to share a meal and of Jehovah’s ancient plan for instilling virtue. A add to the conversation about the advance- god and his prophet might disagree on tactics, but it is something else to disagree about goals. ment of women.

California’s powerhouse economy relies on a skilled, healthy and available workforce. Yet employers say that job candidates often lack the skills they need—and they cannot grow as a result. Meanwhile, many workers make low wages that are stagnant, despite ever-higher living costs. Often workers lack access to quality job training and are increasingly shut out of California’s middle class.

As one of the state’s largest philanthropic funders, The James Irvine Foundation envisions a California where all low-income workers have the power to advance economically.

The foundation recently commissioned a survey of California workers, finding that nearly half are struggling with poverty.

Join business and community leaders for a discussion of the California workforce and how to increase the skills, qualifications and well-being of employees in ways to benefit individuals, their families, their employers and the California economy—ultimately restoring SAN FRANCISCO • Location: 110 The Em- SAN FRANCISCO • Location: 110 The Em- the state’s vibrant middle class. barcadero, Taube Family Auditorium, San Francisco • Time: 11:45 check-in, noon program • Notes: Lunch starts promptly at noon; closing remarks at 1:30 p.m.; For questions please contact Kate Steffy (ksteffy@commonwealthclub.org)

barcadero, Toni Rembe Rock Auditorium, San Francisco • Time: 5:30 p.m. checkin, 6 p.m. program • MLF: Humanities • Program organizer: George Hammond • Time: Banner image by Tom Strecker on Unsplash

MONDAY, MARCH 11

IS THE AMERICAN DREAM OUT OF REACH FOR MOST CALIFORNIANS? JEREMIAH’S PHILOSOPHICAL HOW BUSINESSES CAN RESTORE ARGUMENT WITH JEHOVAH George Hammond, Author, The Gospel THE STATE’S MIDDLE CLASS According to Andrew and Conversa- Panelists TBA

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SAN FRANCISCO • Location: 110 The Embarcadero, Taube Family Auditorium, San Francisco • Time: 5:30 p.m. check-in, 6:30 p.m. program • Notes: This program is generously supported by the James Irvine Foundation

TUESDAY, MARCH 12 SUNITA PURI

Sunita Puri, M.D., Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine, University of Southern California; Medical Director of Pal-

For current prices, call 415.597.6705 or go to commonwealthclub.org

liative Medicine, the Keck Hospital and Norris Cancer Center; Author, The Good Night: Life and Medicine in the Eleventh Hour As the American-born daughter of immigrants, Sunita Puri knew from a young age that the gulf between her parents’ experiences and her own was impossible to bridge, save for two elements: medicine and spirituality.

Between days spent waiting for her mother, an anesthesiologist, to exit the operating room, and evenings spent in conversation with her parents about their faith, Puri witnessed the tension between medicine’s impulse to preserve life at all costs and a spiritual embrace of life’s temporality. That tension eventually drew Puri to palliative medicine, a new specialty attempting to translate the border between medical intervention and quality-of-life care.

Puri shares a meditation on impermanence and the role of medicine in helping us to live and die well, arming readers with information that can transform how we communicate with our doctors about what matters most to us.

SAN FRANCISCO • Location: 110 The Embarcadero, Toni Rembe Auditorium, San Francisco • Time: 6 p.m. check-in, 6:30 p.m. program, 7:30 p.m. book signing • Notes: Puri photo by David Zaugh

SILICON VALLEY AND THE CHALLENGE OF ETHICS

Kara Swisher, Executive Editor, Recode; Host, “Decode Recode” Podcast; Twitter @karaswisher Is Silicon Valley at a breaking point? The power of technology has been called into question amid the growing number of data breaches, disinformation and lack of privacy.

Kara Swisher reflects on what has brought Silicon Valley to this point, the ethical challenges facing tech companies, and prognosis for the future.

his scheduled retirement from the organization he had served with distinction for more than two decades, Andrew G. McCabe was fired from his position as deputy director of the FBI. President Donald Trump celebrated on Twitter: “Andrew McCabe FIRED, a great day for the hard working men and women of the FBI - A great day for Democracy.”

Now, McCabe offers a dramatic and candid account of his career, and an impassioned defense of the FBI’s agents and of the institution’s integrity and independence in protecting America and upholding our Constitution.

ANDREW MCCABE

Andrew McCabe, Former Deputy Director, FBI; Author, The Threat: How the FBI Protects America in the Age of Terror and Trump On March 16, 2018, just 26 hours before

SAN FRANCISCO • Location: 110 The Embarcadero, Toni Rembe Rock Auditorium, San Francisco • Time: 4:45 p.m. check-in, 5:15 p.m. program • MLF: Grownups • Program organizer: John Milford

SAN FRANCISCO • Location: 110 The THURSDAY, MARCH 14 Embarcadero, Taube Family Auditorium, THE MICHELLE MEOW SHOW 3/14/19 San Francisco • Time: 11:30 a.m. checkMichelle Meow, Host, “The Michelle in, noon program, 1 p.m. book signing • Meow Show” (Radio and TV); Twitter @ Notes: Part of our Good Lit series, undermsmichellemeow written by the Bernard Osher Foundation

John Zipperer, Host, Week to Week Political Roundtable, The Commonwealth COMMONWEALTH CLUB WEEKLY Club—Co-Host TOUR Join us as Michelle Meow brings her Every Wednesday at 2 p.m., we’re giving long-running daily radio show to The Commembers and nonmembers behind-the-scenes monwealth Club one day each week. Meet tours of our home at 110 The Embarcade- fascinating—and often controversial—peoro. Join us for a complimentary tour of our beautiful new headquarters on San Francisco’s waterfront. At our state-of-the-art gathering space, which features a rooftop terrace with unobstructed views of the Bay Bridge and San Francisco Bay, you can learn about our storied history and the many amenities of being a Club member.

Space is limited, so reserve your spot now to visit San Francisco’s newest—and oldest—cultural treasure at our new location.

Feel free to call the front desk ahead of time for extra availability.

SAN FRANCISCO • Location: 110 The Embarcadero, Osher Lobby, San Francisco • Time: 1:45 p.m. check-in, 2–3 p.m. tour

LONGEVITY EXPLORERS:

SILICON VALLEY • Location: Santa Clara EXPLORING THE FUTURE OF University, St. Clare Room (third floor), AGING 500 El Camino Real • Time: 7 p.m. pro- Richard G. Caro, Ph.D., Co-Founder, gram • Notes: In association with the Tech-enhanced Life; CEO, Tangible Markkula Center for Applied Ethics Future

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 13

presentation will include promising products the explorers have tried, ideas the explorers have been discussing related to improving the quality of life for older adults and some ideas for products we wish someone would develop.

The Longevity Explorers program is an initiative enabled by Tech-enhanced Life.

Richard Caro will describe the Longevity Explorers’ most recent explorations. The explorers are a unique sharing, evaluation and ideation community made up of older adults (in their 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s) and their friends, families and caregivers. The Sunita Puri 3/12

ple discussing important issues of interest to the LGBTQ community, and have your questions ready.

Check commonwealthclub.org/mms for program details.

vis and Abraham Lincoln? Indeed, can a liberal, multicultural society memorialize anyone at all, or is it committed to a strict neutrality about the quality of the lives led by its citizens?

Levinson considers the tangled responses of SAN FRANCISCO • Location: 110 The SAN FRANCISCO • Location: 110 The Em- ever-changing societies to their monuments, Embarcadero, Max Thelen Boardroom, barcadero, Taube Family Auditorium, San drawing on examples from Albania to ZimbaSan Francisco • Time: 11:30 a.m. check-in, Francisco • Time: 5:30 p.m. check-in, 6:30 bwe, Moscow to Managua. And he asks what noon program kinds of claims the past has on the present, p.m. program particularly if the present is defined in dramatMONDAY, MARCH 18 ic opposition to its past values NORTH BEACH WALKING TOUR Join another Commonwealth Club neigh- WRITTEN IN STONE: PUBLIC MONU- SAN FRANCISCO • Location: 110 The Embarcadero, Toni Rembe Rock Audiborhood adventure! Explore vibrant North MENTS IN CHANGING SOCIETIES Beach with Rick Evans during a two-hour Sanford Levinson, Professor of Law, torium, San Francisco • Time: 5:30 p.m. walk through this neighborhood with a col- the University of Texas, Austin; Author, networking reception, 6 p.m. program, orful past—where food, culture, history and Written in Stone: Public Monuments in 7 p.m. book signing • MLF: Humanities • Program organizer: George Hammond unexpected views all intersect in an Italian Changing Societies “urban village.” In addition to learning about Twenty years after Written in Stone was first Beat hangouts, you’ll discover authentic Italian published, the questions it asked are more rel- JOHN LANCHESTER cathedrals and coffee shops. evant than ever. Is it Stalinist for a formerly John Lanchester, Author, The Wall SAN FRANCISCO • Location: Victoria communist country to tear down a statue of In Conversation with Michael Lewis, Pastry Cafe, 700 Filbert St., San Fran- Stalin? Should the Confederate flag be allowed Author, Moneyball, The Blind Side and cisco (at Columbus Ave., across from to fly over the South Carolina state capitol? Is it The Fifth Risk Washington Square Park) • Time: 1:45 possible for America to honor General Custer Acclaimed British novelist John Lanchester’s p.m. check-in, 2–4:30 p.m. walk • Notes: and also the Sioux Nation, both Jefferson Da- new book, The Wall, is a taut, dystopian novel Take Muni bus 30, 41 or 45; use North that blends the most compelling issues of our Beach Parking Garage on 735 Vallejo St.; time­—rising waters, rising fear, rising political tour operates rain or shine; tickets must division—into a suspenseful story of love, trust be purchased in advance and will not be and survival. Come for a fascinating discussion sold at check-in; walks with fewer than between Lanchester and Michael Lewis, ausix participants will be canceled (you will thor of Moneyball. receive notification of this at least three days in advance)

EMILY CHANG’S BROTOPIA: ONE YEAR LATER

Emily Chang, Anchor and Executive Producer, Bloomberg Technology; Author, Brotopia: Breaking Up the Boys’ Club of Silicon Valley; Twitter @emilychangtv Aileen Lee, Partner, Cowboy VC; Founder, All Raise—Moderator In 2018, Emily Chang’s Brotopia: Breaking Up the Boys’ Club of Silicon Valley made national headlines, further opening up the conversation around discrimination, sexual harassment and toxic work environments taking place across industries and in Silicon Valley.

One year later, join Chang and moderator Aileen Lee, partner at Cowboy VC and founder of All Raise, the new nonprofit dedicated to strategically engaging more women and minorities in the founding and funding of technology-driven companies. In this powerful expose, Chang reveals how Silicon Valley got so sexist despite its utopian ideals. Drawing on her deep network of tech insiders, Chang

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sheds light on how hard it is for women to crack the Silicon ceiling and offers insight on what companies and employees need to do to bring down the “brotopia” culture once and for all.

SAN FRANCISCO • Location: 110 The Embarcadero, Taube Family Auditorium, San Francisco • Time: 6 p.m. check-in, 6:30 p.m. program, 7:30 p.m. book signing • Notes: Part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation

SOCRATES CAFÉ

One Monday every month the Humanities Forum sponsors Socrates Café at The Commonwealth Club. Each meeting is devoted to the discussion of a philosophical topic chosen at that meeting. The group’s facilitator, John Nyquist, invites participants to suggest topics, which are then voted on. The person who proposed the most popular topic is asked to briefly explain why she or he considers that topic interesting and important. An open discussion follows, and the meeting ends with a summary of the various perspectives participants expressed. Everyone is welcome to attend.

SAN FRANCISCO • Location: 110 The Embarcadero, Max Thelen Boardroom, San Francisco • Time: 6 p.m. check-in, 6:30–8 p.m. program • MLF: Humanities • Program organizer: George Hammond Emily Chang’s Brotopia: One Year Later 3/14

For current prices, call 415.597.6705 or go to commonwealthclub.org

What You Need to Know Before You’re 65: A Medicare Primer 3/20

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 20 COMMONWEALTH CLUB WEEKLY TOUR

Every Wednesday at 2 p.m., we’re giving members and nonmembers behind-the-scenes tours of our home at 110 The Embarcadero. Join us for a complimentary tour of our beautiful new headquarters on San Francisco’s waterfront. At our state-of-the-art gathering space, which features a rooftop terrace with unobstructed views of the Bay Bridge and San Francisco Bay, you can learn about our storied history and the many amenities of being a Club member.

Space is limited, so reserve your spot now to visit San Francisco’s newest—and oldest—cultural treasure. Feel free to call the front desk ahead of time for extra availability.

SAN FRANCISCO • Location: 110 The Embarcadero, Osher Lobby, San Francisco • Time: 1:45 p.m. check-in, 2–3 p.m. tour

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW BEFORE YOU’RE 65: A MEDICARE PRIMER

Esther Koch, Founder, Encore Management; Medicare Aging Network Partner, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid If you are approaching the Medicare qualifying age of 65 and Medicare seems like one big alphabetical maze to you, you are not alone. For most, a true understanding of how Medicare works, what options are best for you, and when or how to sign up, is not clear at all. Learn the ABC and Ds of Medicare as well as the realities of what to expect and what not to expect. Here’s what every boomer needs to of humor. Our panelists will provide informaknow before they turn 65. tive and engaging commentary on political SAN FRANCISCO • Location: 110 The Em- and other major news; and we’ll have audience barcadero, Toni Rembe Rock Auditorium, discussion of the week’s events and our live San Francisco • Time: 4:45 p.m. check-in, news quiz! Come early for our members social 5:15 p.m. program • MLF: Grownups • hour (open to all attendees).

Program organizer: Denise Michaud

SAN FRANCISCO • Location: 110 The Embarcadero, Toni Rembe Rock Auditorium, San Francisco • Time: 5:30 p.m. wine-andWEEK TO WEEK POLITICS snacks social hour, 6:30 p.m. program • ROUNDTABLE 3/20/19 Carson Bruno, Assistant Dean and Ad- Notes: Each attendee will receive 2 free junct Lecturer, School of Public Policy, drink tickets for a glass of wine or a soft Pepperdine U.; Twitter @carsonjfbruno drink during our social hour

Barbara Marshman, Former Editorial Pages Editor, San Jose Mercury News; Twitter @barbmarshman Additional Panelist TBA Join us as we discuss the biggest, most controversial and sometimes the surprising political issues with expert commentary by panelists who are smart, are civil and have a good sense

HUMANITIES WEST BOOK DISCUSSION: LEONARDO DA VINCI

ci’s art to his science. He shows how da Vinci’s genius was based on skills we can improve in ourselves, such as passionate curiosity, careful observation and an imagination so playful that it flirted with fantasy. Da Vinci produced the two most famous paintings in history, The Last Supper and the Mona Lisa. But he was just as much a man of science and technology, pursuing innovative studies of anatomy, fossils, birds, the heart, flying machines, botany, geology and weaponry. Da Vinci’s delight at combining diverse passions remains the ultimate recipe for creativity—so too does his ease with being different: illegitimate, gay, vegetarian, left-handed, easily distracted and at times heretical. His life reminds us of the importance of not just accepting received knowledge but being willing to question it. The discussion will be led by Lynn Harris.

Join us to discuss Walter Isaacson’s award-winning biography Leonardo da Vinci.

Based on da Vinci’s astonishing notebooks and new discoveries about his life and work, Isaa- SAN FRANCISCO • Location: 110 The Emcson weaves a narrative that connects da Vin- barcadero, Max Thelen Boardroom, San FEBRUARY/MARCH 2019

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Francisco • Time: 6 p.m. check-in, 6:30 signing • Notes: In partnership with The a chance to meet with your peers and talk p.m. program • MLF: Humanities • Pro- Leakey Foundation and the California through the things that really matter.

Academy of Sciences gram organizer: George Hammond Here’s how this works: Before the event,

PRIMATOLOGIST FRANS DE WAAL: MAMA’S LAST HUG—WHAT ANIMAL EMOTIONS REVEAL ABOUT HUMANS

Frans de Waal, Primatologist; Professor of Psychology, Emory University; Director, Living Links Center at the Yerkes National Primate Research Center; Author, Mama’s Last Hug: Animal Emotions and What They Tell Us About Ourselves New York Times best-selling author and primatologist Frans de Waal explores the fascinating world of animal and human emotions. His new book opens with the dramatic farewell between Mama, a dying 59-year-old chimpanzee matriarch, and biologist Jan van Hooff. This heartfelt final meeting of two longtime friends, widely shared as a video, offers a window into how deep and instantly recognizable these bonds can be. So begins Frans de Waal’s whirlwind tour of new ideas and findings about animal emotions, based on his renowned studies of the social and emotional lives of chimpanzees, bonobos and other primates.

SAN FRANCISCO • Location: Marines’ Memorial Theatre, 609 Sutter St., San Francisco • Time: 5:30 p.m. check-in, 6:30 p.m. program, 7:30 p.m. book

THURSDAY, MARCH 21 THE MICHELLE MEOW SHOW 3/21/19

Michelle Meow, Host, “The Michelle Meow Show” (Radio and TV); Twitter @ msmichellemeow John Zipperer, Host, Week to Week Political Roundtable—Co-Host Join us as Michelle Meow brings her long-running daily radio show to The Commonwealth Club one day each week. Meet fascinating—and often controversial—people discussing important issues of interest to the LGBTQ community, and have your questions ready. Check commonwealthclub.org/mms for program details.

members elect a single news topic to focus on. Everything—from the Bay Area housing crisis to immigration reform—is on the table.

When a topic is chosen, moderators Charles DeLoach and Zack Zbar will send out relevant materials, including podcasts, news articles, short documentaries and an easy-to-read fact sheet with the bare necessities. So even if you are unfamiliar with the topic, we will bring you up to speed. Then we’ll get together for an evening of light food, wine and enlightening small group discussions.

The goal is to have an informal but informative discussion, where anyone can speak and everyone will listen. Bring your curiosity, your ideas and the desire to talk about anything but the Kardashians.

SAN FRANCISCO • Location: 110 The Embarcadero, Max Thelen Boardroom, SAN FRANCISCO • Location: 110 The San Francisco • Time: 11:30 a.m. check-in, Embarcadero, Max Thelen Boardroom, noon program San Francisco • Time: 5:30 p.m. check-in, 6–7:45 p.m. program • MLF: Humanities THE KARDASHIAN-FREE • Program organizer: George Hammond

CONVERSATION CLUB

Charles DeLoach, Host and Moderator, Kardashian Free-Conversation Club; Aspiring Politician Zack Zbar, Host and Moderator, Kardashian Free-Conversation Club Every third Thursday of the month, the Kardashian-Free Conversation Club offers

MONDAY, MARCH 25 MIDDLE EAST FORUM DISCUSSION

The Middle East Forum discussion group, which primarily covers the Middle East, North Africa and Afghanistan, has been meeting monthly for about 10 years. We are not a debate group. We discuss timely cultural subjects

Primatologist Frans de Waal 3/20

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For current prices, call 415.597.6705 or go to commonwealthclub.org

in a civil atmosphere with respect for others ventions, governmental policies and services that advance the greater good; emphasizing and their opinions.

SAN FRANCISCO • Location: 110 The Em- research initiatives like the Chan Zuckerberg barcadero, Max Thelen Boardroom, San Biohub, which span the old dividing lines beFrancisco • Time: 4:30 p.m. check-in, 5 tween disciplines, departments and even instip.m. program • MLF: Middle East • Pro- tutions; supporting the exploding interest in data science across the full range of academic gram organizer: Celia Menczel disciplines; implementing a new free speech policy that sustains commitment to the First A WAY TO FIND ONE’S PURPOSE Amendment while supporting the campus (AND, COINCIDENTALLY, community’s values and protecting Berkeley’s HAPPINESS AND CONTENTMENT) actual operations from unnecessary disrupEllen Grace O’Brian, Director, Center for tion; and promoting diversity as an essential elSpiritual Enlightenment; Author, The ement for a campus that seeks to embody and Jewel of Abundance represent California and that needs to prepare A fable: A man is seen riding a horse gal- students to succeed in a multicultural world. loping at top speed, careening through the SAN FRANCISCO • Location: 110 The Emmain street of town. His friend shouts to him barcadero, Toni Rembe Rock Auditorium, as he goes by, “Where are you going?”

San Francisco • Time: 5:30 p.m. check-in, “I don’t know,” the man yells back. “Ask the 6 p.m. program • MLF: Humanities • Prohorse.” gram organizer: George Hammond If this story seems familiar, if you’re scrambling to find your path, or if you have the WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27 sinking feeling that you’re doing a great job on COMMONWEALTH CLUB WEEKLY what is probably the wrong path, then considTOUR er taking a contemplative, spiritual pause—a Every Wednesday at 2 p.m., we’re giving chance to reflect and reorient—with Yogachamembers and nonmembers behind-the-scenes rya Ellen Grace O’Brian. O’Brian—ordained tours of our home at 110 The Embarcadein the path of Kriya Yoga by Roy Eugene Daro. Join us for a complimentary tour of our vis, direct disciple of Paramahansa Yogananbeautiful new headquarters on San Francisco’s da—will lead a discussion of how to find one’s waterfront. At our state-of-the-art gathering life’s purpose from a spiritual perspective. We’ll space, which features a rooftop terrace with look at how to find that purpose, and how to unobstructed views of the Bay Bridge and San move toward its realization. O’Brian will show Francisco Bay, you can learn about our storied us a way to meditate and will share some surhistory and the many amenities of being a prisingly useful, millennia-tested methods for Club member. staying focused on one’s goals even when tired, Space is limited, so reserve your spot now overwhelmed, doubtful or resistant. to visit San Francisco’s newest—and oldest— SAN FRANCISCO • Location: 110 The Embarcadero, Toni Rembe Rock Auditorium, San Francisco • Time: 5:30 p.m. check-in, 6 p.m. program, 7 p.m. book signing • MLF: Personal Growth • Program organizer: Eric Siegel

THE NEW INITIATIVES AT UC BERKELEY

Carol Christ, Chancellor, UC Berkeley In Conversation with Joseph Epstein, President, Sierra Steel Trading LLC; Member, Commonwealth Club Board of Governors

By July 2019 Berkeley is expected to return to a balanced budget and financial health, and Chancellor Carol Christ is already looking to the future. Christ’s signature initiatives include: translating UCB’s research into in-

cultural treasure at our new location. Feel free to call the front desk ahead of time for extra availability.

SAN FRANCISCO • Location: 110 The Embarcadero, Osher Lobby, San Francisco • Time: 1:45 p.m. check-in, 2–3 p.m. tour

AMY WEBB

Amy Webb, Founder, The Future Today Institute; Author, The Big Nine: How the Tech Titans and Their Thinking Machines Could Warp Humanity; Twitter @amywebb We like to think that we are in control of the future of artificial Amy Webb 3/27

intelligence (AI). The reality, though, is that we—the everyday people whose data powers AI—aren’t actually in control of anything.

When, for example, we speak with Alexa, we contribute that data to a system we can’t see and have no input into—one largely free from regulation or oversight. The big nine corporations—Amazon, Google, Facebook, Tencent, Baidu, Alibaba, Microsoft, IBM and Apple— are the new gods of AI and, according to Amy Webb, are shortchanging our futures to reap immediate financial gain. Webb will deliver a strategy for changing course, providing a path for liberating us from algorithmic decision makers and powerful corporations.

SAN FRANCISCO • Location: 110 The Embarcadero, Taube Family Auditorium, San Francisco • Time: 6 p.m. check-in, 6:30 p.m. program, 7:30 p.m. book signing • Notes: Webb photo by Mary Gardella

THURSDAY, MARCH 28 THE MICHELLE MEOW SHOW 3/28/19

Michelle Meow, Host, “The Michelle Meow Show” (Radio and TV); Twitter @ msmichellemeow John Zipperer, Host, Week to Week Political Roundtable—Co-Host Join us as Michelle Meow brings her long-running daily radio show to The Commonwealth Club one day each week. Meet

good walkers only; the tour operates rain or shine; tickets must be purchased in advance and will not be sold at check-in; walks with fewer than six participants will be canceled (you will receive notification of SAN FRANCISCO • Location: 110 The this at least three days in advance) Embarcadero, Max Thelen Boardroom, San Francisco • Time: 11:30 a.m. check-in, DEEP MEDICINE noon program Eric Topol, M.D., Cardiologist; Executive

fascinating—and often controversial—people discussing important issues of interest to the LGBTQ community, and have your questions ready. Check commonwealthclub.org/mms for program details.

RUSSIAN HILL WALKING TOUR

Join a more active Commonwealth Club neighborhood adventure! Russian Hill is a magical area with secret gardens and amazing views. Join Rick Evans for a “cardio hike” up hills and staircases and learn about the history of this neighborhood. See where great artists and architects lived and worked, and walk down residential streets where some of the most historically significant houses in the Bay Area are located.

SAN FRANCISCO • Location: Swensen’s Ice Cream, 1999 Hyde St., San Francisco • Time: 1:45 p.m. check-in, 2–4:30 p.m. walk • Notes: Take Muni (Bus 45) or a taxi; there is absolutely no parking on Russian Hill—please take a taxi or public transport; the tour ends about six blocks from Swensen’s Ice Cream, at the corner of Vallejo and Jones; it is an easy walk down to North Beach from there; there are steep hills and staircases; the tour is recommended for

built it for us. From acclaimed tech writer Clive Thompson comes a brilliant anthropological reckoning with the most powerful tribe in the world today—computer programmers. His new book explores who they are, how they think, what qualifies as greatness in their world and what should give us pause. They are the most quietly influential people on the planet, and Thompson will Vice President, Scripps Research; Au- shine a light on their culture. thor, The Creative Destruction of Medi- SAN FRANCISCO • Location: 110 The Emcine, The Patient Will See You Now and barcadero, Taube Family Auditorium, San Francisco • Time: 6 p.m. check-in, 6:30 Deep Medicine (Forthcoming) Mark Zitter, Chair, The Zetema Proj- p.m. program, 7:30 p.m. book signing ect; Chairman, Zitter Health Insights— WEDNESDAY, APRIL 3 Moderator One of America’s top doctors reveals how INVISIBLE WOMEN’S VOICES FINALLY artificial intelligence (AI) will empower phy- BEING HEARD sicians and revolutionize patient care. Medi- Mariam Baker, Author, Sacred Voices: cine has become inhuman to disastrous effect. Stories from the Caravan of Women The doctor–patient relationship—the heart of Mariam Baker shows how we are all conmedicine—is broken: Doctors are too distract- nected and how women can lead the way. ed and overwhelmed to truly connect with Finding herself strongly connected to Islam their patients, and medical errors and misdiag- and Sufism since she was 20 years old, Baker, noses abound. Topol says AI can help. AI has who grew up Catholic, conducts workshops all the potential to transform everything doctors over the world, bridging the divide between Isdo, from note-taking and medical scans to di- lam and the West. Believing it’s about time the agnosis and treatment, greatly cutting down greatness of women’s wisdom is spoken and the cost of medicine and reducing human heard, her lifelong work is devoted to empowmortality. By freeing physicians from the tasks ering us all, especially women, with the goal of that interfere with human connection, AI will freeing women’s voices throughout the world create space for the real healing that takes place and among all religions. between a doctor who can listen and a patient SAN FRANCISCO • Location: 110 The Emwho needs to be heard. barcadero, Toni Rembe Rock Auditorium, SAN FRANCISCO • Location: 110 The Embarcadero, Toni Rembe Rock Auditorium, San Francisco • Time: 5:30 p.m. check-in, 6 p.m. program, 7 p.m. book signing • MLF: Health & Medicine • Program organizer: Bill Grant

TUES., APRIL 2 CLIVE THOMPSON

Clive Thompson, Columnist, Wired; Author, Coders: The Making of a New Tribe and the Remaking of the World; Twitter @ pomeranian99 We live in a world constructed of code—and coders are the ones who

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San Francisco • Time: 4:45 p.m. check-in, 5:15 p.m. program • MLF: Grownups • Program organizer: Denise Michaud

JANET NAPOLITANO

Janet Napolitano, President, University of California; Former U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security (2009–2013); Author, How Safe Are We? Homeland Security Since 9/11 Created in the wake of the greatest tragedy to occur on U.S. soil, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) was handed a sweeping mandate: Make America safer. It would encompass intelligence and law enforcement agencies; oversee natural disasters, commercial aviation, border security and the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency, cybersecurity, and terrorism.

From 2009–2013, Janet Napolitano ran DHS and oversaw 22 federal agencies with 230,000 employees.

In her new book, Napolitano pulls no

Invisible Women’s Voices Finally Being Heard 4/3

For current prices, call 415.597.6705 or go to commonwealthclub.org

The Penalty for Success: My Father Was Lynched in Alabama 4/8

LATE-BREAKING PROGRAMS THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7 DONOR POWER: THE INFLUENCE OF CLIMATE PHILANTHROPY

See website for panelists

SAN FRANCISCO • CLIMATE ONE PROGRAM • Location: 110 The Embarcadero, Taube Family Auditorium, San Francisco • Time: 6 p.m. check-in, 6:30 p.m. program, 7:30 p.m. networking reception

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 8 THE DOHA EXPERIMENT: ARAB KINGDOM, CATHOLIC COLLEGE, JEWISH TEACHER

punches, reckoning with the critics who call it Frankenstein’s monster of government run amok, and taking a hard look at the challenges we’ll be facing in the future. But ultimately, she argues that the huge, multifaceted department is vital to our nation’s security. An agency that’s part terrorism prevention; part intelligence agency; part law enforcement, public safety, and disaster recovery makes for an odd combination. But, she says, it has made us more safe, secure and resilient.

SAN FRANCISCO • Location: 110 The Embarcadero, Taube Family Auditorium, San Francisco • Time: 6 p.m. check-in, 6:30 p.m. program, 7:30 p.m. book signing

THURSDAY, APRIL 4 AMERICA AND THE GREAT POWER COMPETITION

Vice Adm. Charles W. Martoglio (Ret.), Director of Strategy and Policy, U.S. Navy; Director for Operations, U.S. Pacific Command; Deputy Commander, U.S. Military Forces in Europe, Eurasia and Israel Retired Vice Admiral Charles W. Martoglio of the U.S. Navy will discuss America’s greatest security challenge of the 21st century, the increasingly competitive rivalry posed by China and Russia teaming up against American interests at home and around the world. He’ll discuss the global security environment, how China and Russia are challenging America, internal challenges faced by Russia and China, and America’s way forward to ensure its global position in this increasingly dynamic and competitive world.

Gary Wasserman, Ph.D., Author, The

San Francisco • Time: 5:30 p.m. check-in, Doha Experiment 6 p.m. program • MLF: International Rela- SAN FRANCISCO • Location: 110 The Emtions • Program organizer: Linda Calhoun barcadero, Toni Rembe Rock Auditorium, San Francisco • Time: 11:30 a.m. check-in, MONDAY, APRIL 8 noon program • MLF: Middle East • Program organizer: Celia Menczel THE PENALTY FOR SUCCESS: MY

FATHER WAS LYNCHED IN ALABAMA

Josephine Bolling McCall, Author, The Penalty for Success: My Father Was Lynched in Lowndes County Alabama In Conversation with Margaret Russell, Interim Associate Provost for Diversity and Inclusion, Santa Clara University Monday Night Philosophy investigates the painful reality that succeeding in business is not always an advantage in America. Josephine Bolling McCall’s father, Elmore Bolling, was a successful entrepreneur in Alabama. He was lynched outside Montgomery in 1947 when the author was five years old. In her book, The Penalty for Success, McCall tells the story of her father’s murder and the impact it had—and still has—on her family and her community.

After years of research, including interviews with relatives and elderly Lowndes County residents, McCall found answers to many troubling questions. Her journey of discovery presents a revealing narrative of a time, a place and a people, challenging us to rethink the reality of life for both blacks and whites in the rural South during Jim Crow. Elmore Bolling was murdered because he was too prosperous to be a black man in Alabama.

TUESDAY, MARCH 5 GETTING YOUTH OFF THEIR PHONES AND INTO NATURE

Phil Ginsburg, GM, SF Rec & Parks

SAN FRANCISCO • CLIMATE ONE PROGRAM • Location: 110 The Embarcadero, Taube Family Auditorium, San Francisco • Time: 6 p.m. check-in, 6:30 p.m. program, 7:30 p.m. networking reception

TUESDAY, MARCH 12 INSANE MODE

Hamish McKenzie, Author, Insane Mode

SAN FRANCISCO • CLIMATE ONE PROGRAM • Location: 110 The Embarcadero, Taube Family Auditorium, San Francisco • Time: 6 p.m. check-in, 6:30 p.m. program, 7:30 p.m. networking reception

THURSDAY, MARCH 21 CALIFORNIA EDUCATION CHIEF TONY THURMOND

Tony Thurmond, California Superintendent of Public Instruction In Conversation with Ricardo Cano, K–12 SAN FRANCISCO • Location: 110 The Education Reporter, CALMatters

Embarcadero, Toni Rembe Rock Auditorium, San Francisco • Time: 5:30 p.m. networking reception, 6 p.m. program, SAN FRANCISCO • Location: 110 The Em- 7 p.m. book signing • MLF: Humanities • barcadero, Toni Rembe Rock Auditorium, Program organizer: George Hammond

SAN FRANCISCO • Location: 110 The Embarcadero, Toni Rembe Rock Auditorium, San Francisco • Time: 5:30 p.m. check-in, 6:30 p.m. program • Notes: In association with CALMatters FEBRUARY/MARCH 2019

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INSIGHT No More Than 48 Hours

Dr. Gloria C. Duffy, President and CEO

S

urprise and shock coursed around San Francisco when the news spread in November that Ray Taliaferro, one of the city’s most talented citizens, was missing.

The former KGO nighttime talk show host was well known and beloved in the San Francisco community. He had chaired the San Francisco Arts Commission for 16 years, been president of the San Francisco NAACP and the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, was emcee of the Monterey Blues Festival and served on The Commonwealth Club’s Board of Governors.

In his early years, Ray was a music prodigy—a brilliant pianist who as a teenager was music director of San Francisco’s Third Baptist Church and conducted his own singing group, the Ray Tal Chorale. He advocated for integration on San Francisco’s Auto Row in the 1960s and played music The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. requested when King preached at Third Baptist.

Last November 10, at age 79, Ray accompanied his wife of six months to visit a house she had inherited in rural Brookport, in Massac County in southern Illinois. Apparently, Ray was in or near the car while she was at the back of the house, and he drove off.

Ray’s wife reported him missing to law enforcement that morning.

The rental car Ray was driving was reported four days later in a bank parking lot in Paducah, Kentucky, a small town 11 miles away across the Ohio River. The police investigated on the 16th, finding Ray’s wallet, credit cards and cell phone in the car.

It came to light at this point that on the day Ray disappeared, he had walked around Paducah, talking to staff in the bank, the manager of a restaurant across the street, and finally he had stopped and chatted with the music director of the West End Baptist Church. Then he disappeared. Temperatures that night and for the next few days in Paducah ranged from a low of 21 degrees into the 30s and 40s.

The Massac County sheriff and Paducah police searched for Ray, but no trace was found for over three weeks. The sheriff expressed his opinion that Ray was still alive; that he might be staying with someone locally or making his way across the country to San Francisco.

At this point, Ray’s son Raphael, from Stockton, flew to Paducah, and an hour before his plane touched down, Ray’s body was found.

He had died in a wooded residential area, next to a small stadium, about a mile from where he was last seen in Paducah. The presumed cause was exposure. The coroner told Raphael that the autopsy showed that Ray had suffered from severe dementia for at least five years.

A number of factors contributed to Ray’s tragic death. He was 2,000 miles away from home, in an unfamiliar environment, with below-freezing temperatures in the middle of winter, and momentarily alone with access to a car and keys.

Ray had become isolated in recent years. Friends, including former San Francisco Mayor Frank Jordan and broadcaster Belva Davis, say Photo courtesy of Gloria Duffy they had called him, but he never returned the calls. We had not seen him for a few years at The Commonwealth Club.

Those immediately around Ray did not recognize the signs of dementia or call it by name. Law enforcement did not issue a Silver Alert, similar to an Amber Alert but for seniors, because Ray was not classified specifically as having dementia. A Silver Alert sends messages immediately via text, radio, TV and road signs about a missing person.

Since Ray walked around Paducah for six hours and spoke with several people, had this alert been issued, he might have been recognized and found quickly. The rental car in which he drove off was also not traced for almost a week.

If someone with dementia wanders off, an intensive search must be mounted immediately. Particularly in winter, there is no more than 48 hours to find the person; often much less.

Law enforcement’s theories about Ray staying with a kindly stranger or making his way across the country (without his car, keys, ID, credit cards or phone, and without being reported by anyone for three weeks) didn’t reflect this sense of urgency.

One person who accurately gauged the situation was the music director of the West End Baptist Church, Brian Henry. After Ray’s visit to the church, Henry knew Ray had a cognitive issue, because Ray repeated himself over and over. To assist in the search, Henry went online, verified Ray’s identity, contacted Ray’s son, spoke with law enforcement, and posted video and a photo online showing Ray as he looked during his visit to the church.

The lack of awareness that Ray was suffering from dementia and lack of familiarity with what to do if someone with dementia wanders off were major contributors to Ray’s death from exposure, 2,000 miles away from his beloved San Francisco. Hopefully, we can learn from his tragic death.

If someone with dementia wanders off, an intensive search must be mounted immediately.

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Journey to Yunnan & Tibet SEPTEMBER 5-19, 2019

Meet in Shanghai, China and fly to the Yunnan province. Explore Dali’s ancient historic quarter and surrounding Bai villages. Discover Lijiang’s canals and stone bridges. Journey to the Tibetan plateau, enjoying views of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain and stopping at Tiger Leaping Gorge. Marvel at the Potala Palace in Lhasa and wander the markets of Barkhor Street. Visit the fabled temples and forts of Gyangtse and Shigatse. Conclude in Beijing.

Cost: $7,395 per person, based on double occupancy (not including international airfare)

CST: 2096889-40

Brochure at commonwealthclub.org/travel

| 415.597.6720

|

travel@commonwealthclub.org

To purchase tickets:

The Commonwealth Club of California

visit commonwealthclub.org or call (415) 597-6705 or call (800) 847-7730

P.O. Box 194210 San Francisco, CA 94119

Periodicals postage paid in San Francisco, California

To subscribe to our email newsletter: visit commonwealthclub.org and use the simple “Be the First to Know” feature on the homepage

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 19

Details on page 39

THURSDAY, MARCH 14

HOWARD SCHULTZ

EMILY CHANG

Former CEO and Chairman, Starbucks; Author, From the Ground Up: A Journey to Reimagine the Promise of America

Anchor and Executive Producer, Bloomberg Technology; Author, Brotopia: Breaking Up the Boys’ Club of Silicon Valley

From the start of his career, former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz has always been an unconventional businessman. Now, he tackles some of America’s most important and divisive issues.

In 2018, Emily Chang’s Brotopia: Breaking Up The Boys’ Club of Silicon Valley spurred the conversation around discrimination, sexual harassment and toxic work environments across industries and in Silicon Valley. One year later, Chang reveals how Silicon Valley got so sexist despite its utopian ideals.

Drawing on her deep network of tech insiders, she sheds light on how hard it is for women to crack the Silicon ceiling and offers insight on what companies and employees need to do to bring down the “brotopia” culture once and for all.

Come hear an inspiring conversation with one of America’s most successful businessmen.

MONDAY, MARCH 18

Details on page 48

Details on page 48

JOHN LANCHESTER WITH MICHAEL LEWIS

John Lanchester, Author, The Wall In Conversation with Michael Lewis, Author, Moneyball, The Blind Side, and The Fifth Risk

Ravaged by the Change, an island nation has built the Wall, an enormous concrete barrier around its border. Joseph Kavanagh has one task: to protect his section of the Wall from the Others.

Acclaimed novelist John Lanchester will discuss his dystopian novel that blends the most compelling issues of our time— rising waters, rising fear, rising political division—into a suspenseful story of love, trust, and survival.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 20

Details on page 50

FRANS DE WAAL

Frans de Waal, Primatologist; Professor of Psychology, Emory University; Director, Living Links Center at the Yerkes National Primate Research Center; Author, Mama’s Last Hug: Animal Emotions and What They Tell Us About Ourselves

Frans de Waal explores the fascinating world of animal and human emotions.

He discusses facial expressions, animal sentience and consciousness, the emotional side of human politics, and the illusion of free will. He distinguishes between emotions and feelings, all the while emphasizing the continuity between our species and other species.