bell hooks, American author, theorist, educator, and social critic, was interviewed on KUOW's Weekday ahead of her University of Washington's public lecture in 2005.

Vine Deloria Jr., author, theologian, historian, and activist for Native American rights, was interview on KUOW Weekday in 2003 ahead of the University of Washington Public Lecture.

Healthcare Where All Can Thrive: Advocating For Older LGBTQ Adults with Carey Candrian on December 4, 2025

Healthcare can be challenging for anyone—but for older LGBTQ individuals, the barriers are often deeper and more complex. This engaging talk explores how thoughtful, inclusive communication can transform healthcare experiences, making every person feel truly seen, heard, and respected. Join us to learn how the words we choose and the ways we listen can foster trust, reduce disparities, and build a system that cares for everyone with dignity.

George Coyne, American Jesuit priest and astronomer who directed the Vatican Observatory, was interviewed on KUOW's weekday ahead of his UW Public Lecture.

Louis Menand, an American critic, essayist, and professor who wrote the Pulitzer-winning book The Metaphysical Club, interviewed on KUOW's Weekday ahead of his University of Washington public lecture in 2003.

William Cronon, an American environmental historian, interviewed on KUOW's Weekday in 2002, ahead of giving his University of Washington Public lecture.

Ronald Takaki, historian, interviews on KUOW's Weekday in 2000 ahead of his public lecture at the University of Washington.

Professor Manning Marable, Columbia University, interview with KUOW's Weekday hosted by Steve Scher in 2001.

Vandana Shiva, Indian activist and scholar, interview on KUOW's Weekday with Steve Scher in 2001, ahead of the public lecture at the University of Washington.

A panel discission on what keeps communities safe, among ACLU of Washington policy experts and experts in restorative justice and violence prevention who have been directly impacted by the criminal legal system.  

For decades, Washington state has invested in increasingly harsher punishments as the solution to public safety. This investment has devastated communities, particularly communities of color, and created a mass incarceration crisis in our state. Panelists will discuss restorative justice, violence prevention, sentencing reform, and how criminalization policies and tough-on-crime rhetoric during election seasons undermine public safety. This discussion will examine the impact our sprawling criminal l...

In recent years, American democracy has bent but not broken. What are the threats facing American democracy, and what are its sources of resilience? In this talk, Dr. Jake Grumbach will investigate trends in three areas of American democracy: the rule of law, majority rule, and political equality. Each of these areas is a crucial component for a political system of the people, by the people, and for the people, and each area shows signs of strain. While much of the concern about democracy has been focused on the White House, the U.S. constitutional system gives much of...

A moderated conversation between Senior Fellow for Public Practice at Braver Angels and author of “I Never Thought of it That Way: How to Have Fearlessly Curious Conversations in Dangerously Divided Times“, Mónica Guzmán and writer, broadcaster, and interviewer, Steve Scher. Let’s learn together how to remain curious and courageous during our upcoming presidential election season.

In this talk, on October 28, 2024, Dr. Priya Donti, Assistant Professor and the Silverman (1968) Family Career Development Professor at MIT EECS and LIDS, will explore AI’s multi-faceted relationship with climate change. This discussion will cover how researchers, practitioners, and policymakers can work together to better align the use of AI with climate change.

 Jaipreet Virdi, scholar activist and Associate Professor at the University of Delaware and author of “Hearing Happiness: Deafness Cures in History” Dr. Virdi asks us to consider how being disabled changes the way people view the world and the things they create. Through these perspectives, she invites alternative approaches for remaking crip worlds, one in which disabled people, and the disabled gaze, are centered first and foremost

The UW Office of Public Lectures presents Generative Misinformation with Professor Jevin West. Addressing misinformation is one of society’s grand challenges. In so doing, we might have a chance at the other grand challenges—preventing the next pandemic, preserving our planet, and protecting democracy. Humans, armed and amplified with social media, have been the primary producers of misinformation. This may be changing. Human-like chatbots and other forms of generative AI are and will contribute to this problem. It was a hard enough with humans; AI might make pre-2023 look like the good old days of mitigating misinformation. In this...

Jake Grumbach is an associate professor of political science at the University of Washington who focuses on political economy of U.S. Democracy. In the first of a two- part series, he will discuss the current crisis in American democracy and how national conflicts of race, labor, and democracy are playing out in state governments.

The notion that race is a social construct, rather than an objective physical reality, is widely accepted – except in areas that include biomedical research, debates about transracial identities, and sports. In this talk, Ann Morning will dissect the reasons we hold firmly to the 18th-century understanding of race in these domains.

In this talk, Diane Ravitch, Founder and President of the Network for Public Education, shares her thoughts on public education, including why schools should not operate like businesses and how citizens can organize to defend public schools against privatization. This lecture was originally presented on April 24, 2018.

Click here for lecture transcript: https://drive.google.com/file/d/11KJoJca7QWFkk43ptKJ_VOJ1rthvquAH/view?usp=sharing

The world is awash in bullshit. Pandering politicians, winking advertisers, startup soothsayers, television “experts”, and even some scientists use the news media to promulgate half-truths, misrepresentations and sometimes outright lies. In this talk, UW professors Jevin West and Carl Bergstrom will provide a set of tools for combatting this misinformation—with a particular emphasis on data, figures, visualizations and statistics. This lecture was originally presented on November 7, 2018.

Click here for lecture transcript:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1kve1G9TeTfAVXjzXRMrAamE28ZBKbCak/view?usp=sharing

While there is greater attention to issues of privilege surrounding student achievement, missing from the debate is how to make achievement more likely. In this talk, Pedro Noguera, Distinguished Professor of Education at the Graduate School of Education and Information Studies at UCLA, describes strategies for supporting teaching and learning for all types of students. This lecture was originally presented on January 10, 2017.

Click here for lecture transcript: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1UvLb7rgOgTSnGmbusbPP8ZU4_0s0u8-i/view?usp=sharing

Climate change is one of the most daunting challenges of our time. Americans have diverse and sometime opposing views about global warming, fundamentally shaping the political climate of climate change. In this lecture, Anthony Leiserowitz, Director of the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication, will report on recent trends in Americans’ climate change knowledge, attitudes, policy support, and behavior and discuss strategies to build public and political will for climate action. This lecture was originally pr...

Click here for lecture transcript:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Jm-sL-Zp0_qkFNgK58akqvI1lyIZjLj7/view?usp=sharing

As America's demographic ratios change, new challenges & opportunities for conservation, tech, and public health are evolving. In this talk, internationally renowned urban revitalization strategy consultant and award winning eco-entrepreneur Majora Carter explores the connection between our re-urbanizaning society and how we experience the "environment". This lecture was originally presented on January 22, 2014.

Click here for lecture transcript:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1oAecVC69hRImZK1uBTeIfuHpMqZojEmA/view?usp=sharing

Angela Davis is known internationally for her ongoing work to combat all forms of oppression in the U.S. and abroad. Over the years she has been active as a student, teacher, writer, scholar and activist/organizer. She is a living witness to the historical struggles of the contemporary era. This lecture was originally presented on April 17, 2007.

Click here for lecture transcript:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/18GGXsx4LypdarVD4b1tNxHwIFCBA6aWN/view?usp=sharing

In this talk, David Orr, Professor and Chair of the Environmental Studies Program at Oberlin College, focuses on the revolution in the design professions and its relation to larger issues of climate change, law, and the rights of future generations. This lecture was originally presented on November 7, 2006.

Click here for lecture transcript:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1jHRSM1j2baTg0gUnIBlhS7P55qxkWx0Z/view?usp=sharing

Temple Grandin did not talk until she was three-and-a-half years old. Now a prominent author, speaker and advocate for autism and animal behavior, she has been featured in radio, print and film. Today half the cattle in the United States are handled in facilities she designed. In this talk, Grandin shares her amazing story. This lecture was originally presented on March 8, 2018.

Click here for lecture transcript: https://drive.google.com/file/d/17B1qFZGVRrWuoe4Wtn6XSuYAytPZak61/view?usp=sharing

In this talk, Robin DiAngelo will give an overview of the socialization that leads to white fragility and provide the perspectives needed for more constructive cross-racial interactions. This lecture was originally presented on October 26, 2016.

Click here for lecture transcript: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Z6YpEAogBWehcWiDbMFg5yQnMCrKmTms/view?usp=sharing

In this lecture, Jill Cornell Tarter, the Bernard M. Oliver Chair for SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) at the SETI Institute in Mountain View, California, speaks to the importance of investing in long-term endeavors in a world of short-sighted thinking and how looking beyond our atmosphere can help better sustain life here on earth. This lecture was originally presented on March 3, 2015.

In 2015, Misty Copeland became the first African American female principal dancer in American Ballet Theatre’s 75-year history. In this talk, hear from this artist, author, entrepreneur and humanitarian about how she broke barriers and her work to inspire young people everywhere. This lecture was originally presented on March 24, 2017.

In this lecture, Seyla Benhabib, Eugene Meyer Professor of Political Science and Philosophy at Yale University, will give an overview of the controversial book, Eichmann in Jerusalem (1963). Although some of Arendt’s claims concerning Eichmann’s personality and activities, as well as her analysis of the Jewish Councils are historically inaccurate, Benhabib will argue that her book leaves us with some enduring questions about human responsibility in extreme conditions. This lecture was originally presented on October 24, 2013.

In discussing the Arctic, we often only hear about the melting ice and challenged wildlife; in this talk, Canadian Inuit human rights activist Sheila Wall-Cloutier tells the potent human story about communities and their journey through rapid social and environmental change towards long term sustainability. This lecture was originally presented on March 11, 2014.

The Artistic Director, Choreographer, and Co-Founder of Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company, in this lecture, Bill T. Jones will discuss the four-year creation process of the Analogy Trilogy; examine the hidden unities, poetry and the universal connectivity in creating art during this era of fractious political conversations; and consider the potential heroism found in hope and belief in the future. This lecture was originally presented on January 30, 2018.

Click here for lecture transcript: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1wyn4oBv-XtbWgFgJYFvUCGrgjdWKNInt/view?usp=sharing

Amy Tan is the author of several bestselling novels, including "The Joy Luck Club," which was adapted into a feature film. She is also the author of two children's books, "The Moon Lady" and "Sagwa, The Chinese Siamese Cat." She's currently working on a new book titled "The Valley Of Amazement."

Amy Tan's mother wanted her to become a doctor and a concert pianist. Instead, Tan chose to write fiction, a career that was out of line...

Celebrated as one of our nation's leading public intellectuals by the Atlantic Monthly, as well as one of Utne Reader's 100 Visionaries Who Could Change Your Life, bell hooks (nee Gloria Watkins) is a charismatic speaker who is considered as one of the leading public intellectuals of her generation. hooks is known as a feminist thinker whose writings cover a broad range of topics on gender, race, teaching and the significance of media for contemporary culture. This lecture was originally presented on March 3, 2005.

News correspondent and journalist Maria Hinojosa has spent decades reporting on immigration and the treatment of immigrants – both documented and undocumented – by law enforcement organizations. In this lecture, she will give powerful witness to the routine denial of due process to immigrants and its effect on our broader society. This lecture was originally presented on November 1, 2017.

Click here for lecture transcript:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1h0Em3f2HOl06sfMZazUrlxmxZPSKkLdy/view?usp=sharing

A devoted activist and writer, Gloria Steinem is undeniably one of the most important voices of the modern feminist movement. The founder of Ms. Magazine, Steinem's name is synonymous with the advancement of women's social equality in America and throughout the world. This lecture was originally presented on March 8, 2006.

Many look to “the school” as the great equalizer, a meritocracy where equal opportunity is realized. For communities of color, this is often far from the truth. Throughout history, each time communities of color have made progress toward equal educational opportunity, a major societal pushback has caused the loss of gains that appeared won. In this talk, Joy Williamson-Lott looks to history to show how we can work toward real progress. This lecture was originally presented on February 15, 2017.

Click here for lecture transcript:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/17XxmKEucnwS59CD885BiKZfobsRwvo1s/view?usp=sharing

Noam Chomsky, Institute Professor, Department of Linguistics and Philosophy, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, has written and lectured widely on linguistics, philosophy, intellectual history, contemporary issues, international affairs and U.S. foreign policy. This lecture was originally presented on April 20, 2005.

Click here for lecture transcript:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1PgxTuWPrqR536IcI_WNmkhvmHILiQ2RJ/view?usp=sharing

An academic, attorney, and political activist, Lawrence Lessig has held faculty positions Stanford University, Harvard University, and the University of Chicago. In this talk, Lessig discusses the similarities between Google in 2008 and Microsoft in 1998. This lecture was originally presented on November 2, 2007.

Click here for lecture transcript: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1kjog2qyO6K8kuV0biMo-povsPFZiSC6d/view?usp=sharing

Racism not only burdens people of color, but also benefits white Americans in every realm. In this lecture, Tim Wise, who is among the most prominent anti-racist writers and educators in the United States, shares how racial privilege impedes progressive social change for all — and ways to challenge this paradigm. This lecture was originally presented on January 27, 2017.

How to Raise an Adult

Click here for lecture transcript:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1asqn7EsowZoEvYZUnwPGMExJnbId5dCd/view?usp=sharing

Julie Lythcott-Haims is the author of the New York Times best-selling book How to Raise an Adult: Break Free of the Overparenting Trap and Prepare Your Kid for Success (2015) and Real American: A Memoir (2017). She is deeply interested in what prevents people from living meaningful, fulfilling lives.

How to Raise an Adult emerged from Lythcott-Haim’s decade as Stanford University’s Dean of Freshmen, where she was known for...

Data can be a powerful tool for fighting systemic racism and police violence. In this lecture, Sam Sinyangwe will present strategies for using data to support organizing campaigns focused on equity and justice in the United States.

Sinyangwe is a policy analyst and data scientist who works with communities of color to fight systemic racism through cutting-edge policies and strategies. Sinyangwe has supported movement activists across the country to collect and use data as a tool for fighting police violence through Mapping Police Violence and to advance solutions to police violence through Campaign Zero.

Previously...