Commonwealth Club of California Podcast

It is often said that "reentry begins on the first day of incarceration," but how can we ensure that people leave prison prepared to succeed in the free world? This conversation between Marc Morjé Howard and Stephanie McGencey will highlight recommendations from the Reentry Ready Project, which focuses on the tremendous benefits of education and positive programming for incarcerated people so that they can develop self-worth and critical reasoning skills; the program also focuses on making carceral facilities safer for both residents and staff. Howard will share examples from the innovative and groundbreaking Georgetown programs in Washington, D.C. McGencey will describe efforts planned to improve reentry outcomes nationwide. MLF Organizer: George Hammond MLF: Humanities Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our distinguished panelists will discuss Afghanistan and the longest war in U.S. history. They will present their personal views about prewar Afghanistan, the present tragedy and what policies and reforms might be pursued to find peace and prevent further tragedy. Sandra Miller Ross traveled to Afghanistan in 1970 and will show stunning images of that visit. Atta Arghandiwal is a humanitarian and cultural adviser who was born in Afghanistan to a military family. Lt. Col. Anthony Alfidi of the U.S. Reserve has served throughout the Middle East and Afghanistan. MLF ORGANIZER Celia Menczel NOTES MLF: Middle East Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

More than seven decades after the founding of Israel, the momentum to establish a Jewish state has led to remarkable achievements: stable structures in government, the military and the economy. At the same time, as the country faces a range of issues in how it deals with coexistence, it also faces significant challenges to its democratic processes. Particularly, Israel lacks a constitution to bind its democracy and a bill of rights to safeguard the freedoms of its citizens. No one knows these issues better than Arye Carmon, the founder of the Israel Democracy Institute. In his new book, Building Democracy on Sand: Israel without a Constitution, Carmon diagnoses the critical vulnerabilities at the heart of Israeli democracy and the obstacles to forming a sustainable national consciousness. In the book, the author merges touching narratives about his own life in Israel with insightful ruminations on the Jewish diaspora and the arc of Israel’s history, illuminating the conflicts between Jewish identities, democratic values and the collective body of Jewish religious laws. This struggle between a secular and a religious Jewish identity is especially critical now amid voices promoting ethnocentric nationalism, threatening to sever the ties that strengthen the country's democracy. Carmon’s book and his important views on the state of the country's democracy come at a critical time as Israel emerges from its second national election within a year and the two major parties negotiate how to govern the country. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Michael Eric Dyson is known for his many talents. He is an outspoken academic and sociologist, social critic, best-selling author, a popular figure in political news media, an ordained Baptist minister and, in his own words, one of the country’s leading “hip-hop intellectuals.” Often in Dyson’s work, these concepts all intersect to reflect a well-rounded picture of black life in America. Now Dyson has set his analytical sights on someone who, he argues, is one of the greatest American poets of all time: Jay-Z. Join INFORUM and Dyson for an evening of all things Hova—from Jay-Z’s humble beginnings as a hustler in 1980s New York City to his meteoric rise to fame and his eventual recognition as one of the greatest rappers of all time. Dyson will explore how Jay-Z’s 30-year career has changed not just hip-hop but also the music industry, business, politics and social justice. Join us for an exploration of the life of a great literary figure and learn how he provided the blueprint. This program is part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation ** This Podcast Contains Explicit Language ** Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

According to leading venture capitalist Ben Horowitz, the crucial question for every organization is: How do you create and sustain the culture you want? To Horowitz, culture is how a company makes decisions. It’s not the values listed on the wall or what’s said in a company-wide meeting. It is who you are and what you do to get you through both good and bad times. Horowitz reflects on some of his own experiences and highlights four models of leadership and purposeful culture building. ** This Podcast Contains Explicit Language ** Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's our annual year-end Week to Week, keeping you up to date with the most recent political events and news. And from 5:30-6:30, we'll have our annual members holiday party (open to all attendees). Come join us for lively conversation and good cheer! We will 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! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With the coming release (December 20) of the ninth installment of the Star Wars movie franchise, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, perhaps the most significant element of the series, the lives and legacy of the Skywalker family come to an end. The end of the Skywalker saga brings closure on a 40+ year cinematic saga that has transformed moviemaking, retailing, mythmaking and global popular culture. It is also brings to an end a storyline that has its very roots in Marin County. Lucasfilm, the company founded by Star Wars creator George Lucas in the early 70s, was originally located in San Rafael, and the original Star Wars film was written in San Rafael and San Anselmo. Skywalker Ranch, of course, is located in western Marin. What better way, then, to bring the nine-film mega odyssey to a close than a lively conversation between two Star Wars experts in the very county where it all began? Please join us as Mashable's Chris Taylor, author of How Star Wars Conquered the Universe, sits down with Starwars.com contributor, Bryan Young, as they discuss everything Star Wars: What has the film franchise meant to American culture? What can we expect with episode 9 and beyond? Why did the film franchise have such an impact? And what do the films say about our current political system, religion and technology? Symbolically, the program will be held on the grounds of the Marin County Civic Center, a facility that not only has been featured in a George Lucas film (THX 1138) but has also inspired some of the architecture seen on the planet Naboo in Star Wars: Episode 1 - The Phantom Menace. (The event will be held in the Marin Center's Showcase Theater.) Please join us as Marin Conversations at The Commonwealth Club salutes Star Wars and says goodbye to the Skywalker Saga in the place where it all began. In short, the Force will be strong with this program. Chris Taylor is a journalist from the UK who moved to the Bay Area as soon as he could by becoming Time magazine's San Francisco bureau chief. He introduced Time magazine’s readers to Google, Netflix and the iPod. Currently, Taylor is senior editor at the website Mashable. He has been reporting on Star Wars since 1999 and is the author of How Star Wars Conquered the Universe, the first complete history of Star Wars as an independent franchise. Published in 2014, it has become an international best seller, now available 11 languages. Bryan Young is an award-winning author, filmmaker, journalist and comics writer. He is a frequent contributor to Starwars.com, Star Wars Insider magazine, Syfy, Slashfilm and many more. He is one of the hosts for “Full of Sith,” one of the highest-rated podcasts covering the world of Star Wars. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Americans are generally familiar with the role courts play in protecting the public’s rights and resolving disputes with integrity. In recent years, state judges have been confronted by recalls and other challenges at the ballot box as well as political attacks that some observers believe could create a chilling effect on justice. What is the impact of elections on judicial independence? Do elections threaten justice, or are they a means by which to preserve it? How responsive to the electorate should judges be? What is the impact of judicial elections and retention elections on judicial independence? What is the proper relationship of politics and the judiciary? Join us in an important discussion with high-level panelists who have studied—and experienced—these issues. NOTES In partnership with the California Judges Association, Judicial Fairness Coalition, the Litigation Section of the Bar Association of San Francisco, Bench Bar Committee and the San Francisco Chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As Microsoft’s president, Brad Smith leads a team of more than 1,400 business, legal and corporate affairs professionals working in 56 countries. He plays a key role in spearheading the company’s work on critical issues involving the intersection of technology and society, including cybersecurity, privacy, artificial intelligence, human rights, immigration, philanthropy and environmental sustainability. The Australian Financial Review has described Smith as “one of the technology industry’s most respected figures,” and The New York Times has called him “a de facto ambassador for the technology industry at large.” Smith operates by a simple core belief: When your technology changes the world, you bear a responsibility to help address the world you have helped create. This might seem uncontroversial, but it flies in the face of a tech sector long obsessed with rapid growth and sometimes on disruption as an end in itself. While sweeping digital transformation holds great promise, Smith says we have reached an inflection point, and the world has turned information technology into both a powerful tool and a formidable weapon. Come hear his view that new approaches are needed to manage an era defined by even more powerful inventions like artificial intelligence. Companies that create technology must accept greater responsibility for the future, he says, and governments will need to regulate technology by moving faster and catching up with the pace of innovation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Monday Night Philosophy warms you up for the holidays with Michel de Montaigne's essay "On Friendship," one of the most influential and insightful meditations on the topic ever written. Montaigne shows us how our attitudes toward friendship are deeply constitutive of both our emotional life and our moral being. Together we will discuss the themes raised by Montaigne and their implications for thinking about communal life, both during Montaigne's age and in the present moment. MLF Organizer: George Hammond MLF: Humanities Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

2019 has been a year of climate rising. Youth activists skipped school and took to the streets, the Green New Deal thrust climate equity into the spotlight, and Democratic presidential candidates were forced to respond. Even a few Republicans dared to suggest climate is a concern that needs to be addressed. Join us for a look back on the big ideas that shaped some of our favorite episodes from 2019. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Much has been written about the groundbreaking number of women who were elected into Congress in the last election. What many people may not know, however, is that women in San Francisco and the Bay Area play a pivotal role in creating a narrative at the national level—influencing who runs, where money should go, and, ultimately, who gets elected. Meet the Bay Area’s ultimate power players: the Queenmakers. Notes: In association with San Francisco magazine Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Such a pretty girl.” It was a refrain Nadina LaSpina heard frequently in her native Sicily. What was sometimes added, and what was always implied, was that it’s a shame she was disabled. Having contracted polio as a baby, LaSpina was the frequent target of pity by those who dismissed her life as hopeless. She came to the United States at 13 and spent most of her adolescence in hospitals in a fruitless and painful quest for a cure. Against the political tumult of the 1960s, LaSpina rebelled both personally and politically. She refused to accept both the limitations placed on her by others and the dominant narrative surrounding disability. LaSpina also took to the streets with the then fledgling disability rights movement that has changed both law and perception in the United States. As an activist, LaSpina has been arrested numerous times. She was an important figure in some key struggles, including those that led to the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. LaSpina discusses why pity has been one of the most hurtful things she’s had to contend with in her life, that the problem was not her disability but the way she was treated because of it, and that the assumption that to be disabled is to be miserable is itself the most miserable part about being disabled. MLF Organizer: George Hammond MLF: Humanities ** This Podcast Contains Explicit Language ** Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mac McQuown is known as one of the architects of the modern investing system. In the early 1970s, he departed from prevailing Wall Street practices by assembling a team of six future Nobel Laureates to create a new type of investment: the index fund. Join McQuown as he presents an insider’s view of the events that led to the creation of the index fund. Learn what he and his team have created since those early days, other advances that have occurred since and what might be coming next. MLF ORGANIZER Denise Michaud NOTES MLF: Grownups Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Toni Morrison, who passed away in August, was one of the most celebrated writers of our time. She was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature, the Pulitzer, National Book Critics Circle Award, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and more. Earlier this year, a new documentary film about Morrison, The Pieces I Am, premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. The film covers the life and impact of Morrison, and it includes interviews with Morrison, Angela Davis, Fran Lebowitz, Peter Sellars, Oprah Winfrey and others. Join us for an engaging conversation with the director of The Pieces I Am, Timothy Greenfield-Sanders. A Grammy Award-winning filmmaker, Greenfield-Sanders has achieved critical acclaim photographing world leaders and major cultural figures, including presidents, writers, artists, actors, and musicians. He has produced and directed 13 documentary films, including Lou Reed: Rock and Roll Heart (which was recognized with a Grammy), The Black List (which earned him an NAACP Image Award), The Latino List, and The Trans List. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Studies show that we are starting to see real results in the number of women represented in the c-suite, with nearly 45 percent of companies having three or more women in senior roles. While the bright spots are clear, women are still getting stuck, and it is happening even earlier in their careers, at the very first rung along the corporate ladder. The glass ceiling is cracking, but what else needs to be done to move progress forward for a majority of working women? “Women in the Workplace” is an annual report conducted by McKinsey & Company and LeanIn.org, and with 329 companies, representing 13 million people surveyed, it is the largest data set of its kind for women in corporate America. Now in its fifth year, join Alexis Krivkovich, co-author and senior partner at McKinsey & Company, and other corporate leaders and experts as they discuss the 2019 findings. They’ll offer their insights, share key lessons learned along their journey and discuss what needs to be done to fix the broken rung and accelerate progress for all working women. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This program will present the biological and health effects of both natural electromagnetic waves innate to the body and man-made electromagnetic waves from wireless technologies, including discussion about 4G/5G antenna densification. It will also address the mental health and relational impacts of tech overuse and addiction. Importantly, new scientific understanding will be shared by a former telecom industry director of research and development about what is driving the biological effects, that relates to our body being mostly comprised of water. We will learn how wireless radiation instantly changes biology, with system-wide effects. Join us for a provocative program about technology risks to humanity. MLF ORGANIZER Bill Grant NOTES MLF: Health & Medicine, Technology & Society Co-organized by ElectromagneticHealth.org; American Academy of Environmental Medicine; Moms Across America; Ecological Options Network; SafeG; the California Brain Tumor Association; UCOT (Unintended Consequences of Technology); Electromagnetic Safety Alliance; EMF Safety Network; My Street, My Choice!; California Health Coalition Advocacy; Electrosensitive Society; Manhattan Neighbors for Safer Telecommunications; International EMF Alliance Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As 2019 draws to the close, the media tributes, commemorations, remembrances and explorations related to the 50th anniversary of the 1960s comes to an end. This special program will focus on the 50th anniversary of the Altamont Speedway Free Festival, the traumatic and deadly Rolling Stones concert in the East Bay of San Francisco that is often presented as the symbolic end of the 1960s counterculture. But was it? What is the legacy of Altamont? At the notorious December 6, 1969 concert—held several months after Woodstock took place across the country—one fan was knifed to death, three died in accidents, and many more were beaten and abused before a crowd of well over 300,000. Legendary Bay Area music writer Joel Selvin has written the definitive history of that day. His book Altamont: The Rolling Stones, the Hells Angels, and the Inside Story of Rock's Darkest Day explores in-depth that dark day, what led to the mayhem and what that concert means half a century later. Nearly 50 years to the exact day of the Altamont concert, Selvin will sit down with photographer and music journalist Tabitha Soren for a discussion of Altamont and the final event of the 1960s that continues to divide and fascinate the public. Did the counterculture, formed in the Bay Area, end in the chaos of the Altamont concert? Is the mayhem associated with the concert the proper way to remember the 1960s ending? Why was the concert such a disaster and what responsibility did the Rolling Stones, Grateful Dead and others have? Why are we still talking about it? Please join us for a fascinating and timely discussion on a topic and time period that continues to shape the Bay Area's consciousness. ** This Podcast Contains Explicit Language ** Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In their new documentary, Stonewall: Outloud, filmmakers Fenton Baily and Randy Barbato weave together personal accounts and archival material from the night of the Stonewall riots. Narrated by RuPaul and currently streaming on YouTube, the film is a powerful look back at one of the most significant moments in the history of gay rights in the United States. Join us for a discussion with these two filmmakers about sharing new insight into a pivotal LGBTQ event. Come for a free midday program, as Michelle Meow brings her long-running 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nancy Pelosi (D–CA) is one of the most successful leaders to ever wield the gavel as speaker of the United States House of Representatives. Under her leadership, Democrats passed the Affordable Care Act and are now championing a for the people agenda. People have spent a lifetime studying how Pelosi uses power and negotiation, but no one understands her better than her own daughter Christine Pelosi. In her new book, The Nancy Pelosi Way: Advice on Success, Leadership, and Politics from America’s Most Powerful Woman, Christine Pelosi teaches us the wisdom and advice she learned firsthand from the most powerful woman in American history. She examines how her mother rose through the ranks of government and extracts key lessons in leadership for us to apply to our own lives. Join us for an enlightening conversation with Christine Pelosi as she teaches us important lessons gleaned from an American icon and the woman she knows best. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Those of us in Northern California have inhaled a lot of wildfire smoke over the past few years. Fueled by a rapidly warming climate, these catastrophic wildfires are burning down our communities, are hard on our physical and mental health, and can play havoc with our water supply. What are communities doing to protect their homes and their water supply? What are drinking water utilities and the state of California doing to address these terrible problems? During our program, we will discuss the actions a large Bay Area water utility is taking to protect the green and build infrastructure that delivers our water. We will hear from the state's forest health lead on the focus of their work. Finally, we will present examples of steps other communities around the West are taking. MLF: Environment & Natural Resources Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Murder, love, and the human experience are the stuff of great stories, as podcasts like Serial and RadioLab have shown us. But climate change? Not so much. The story is overwhelming and the ending is predictable and depressing, say radio producers. Coverage in national newspapers has increased since President Trump took office. It’s also expanded from science and environmental beats to culture, health and finance. And as the conversation shifts further toward companies’ role confronting climate impacts, the story of business and climate is gaining prominence and ramping up pressure on corporations. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Scott Adams has drawn nearly 9,000 cartoons since starting "Dilbert" 30 years ago. His cynical take on white-collar office workspaces propelled him to widespread success and acclaim, while his ongoing commentary on politics and President Trump have kept him in national news. In his newest book, Loserthink: How Untrained Brains Are Ruining America, Adams explores the epidemic of mental shortcuts that make us prone to believing in bad ideas. Adams explores how loserthink makes people stereotype all Trump supporters as racists, believe that gun control is equal to full confiscation and avoid personal reflection during a relationship’s end. Through Loserthink, Adams provides the tools for spotting, avoiding and fighting against loserthink. In doing so, Adams argues that logic and rationality, not emotion, is the most important part of any argument, political or not. Join us for a conversation with Scott Adams as he urges us to think deeper and more critically, breaking free from loserthink. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

NPR has called Susannah Cahalan “one of America’s most courageous young journalists.” Known for her memoir Brain on Fire, which details her experience with a rare autoimmune disease, Cahalan’s work has since been made into a feature film on Netflix. In her newest book, The Great Pretender: The Undercover Mission That Changed Our Understanding of Madness, Cahalan explores the centuries-old struggle to define, diagnose and treat mental illness. The Great Pretender details a 1970 experiment, led by Stanford psychologist David Rosenhan, in which he and seven other people went undercover into the asylums of America. Cahalan describes how Rosenhan and the others were forced to remain inside until they could prove they were sane, and as a result, all of those partaking in the experiment emerged with stories of mistreatment and newfound mental health issues. Following the dramatic study, institutions and mental health diagnoses were changed from then on. Cahalan’s research asks us to delve deeper into the Rosenhan experiment and ask important questions relating to what really happened. She argues that this episode’s implications on mental illness and treatment are worth discussing, as the effects of the study are still felt today. Join us for a unique and important conversation with Cahalan as she asks us to delve deeper into our own understanding of mental health, diagnosis and treatment. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Malcolm Nance is one of the world’s renowned intelligence experts and a popular guest on NBC News and MSNBC. With over 33 years combating radical extremist terrorism, Nance is known for championing human rights, ethical responsibility and cultural awareness in intelligence practices. In his newest book, The Plot to Betray America: How Team Trump Embraced Our Enemies, Compromised Our Security, and How We Can Fix It, Nance argues that President Trump and his team have conspired to commit the greatest act of treason in the history of the United States: betrayal of the oath of office for personal gain. The Plot to Betray America contains in-depth interviews with insiders, analysis from intelligence experts, and substantial evidence of Trump’s deep financial ties to Russia. It also provides solutions on how to protect America’s compromised security. Join us for an essential conversation with intelligence and counterterrorism expert Malcolm Nance as he explains how we can still save America’s democracy, security and future. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the age of #MeToo, where women are empowered to tell their truth rather than worry about the consequences of speaking out, there is hardly a better role model than best-selling author Lindy West. West first came to prominence as a young blogger with a no-holds-barred approach to topics such as feminism, racism, sexism and fat shaming. Her memoir (which includes her very public fight with her then boss Dan Savage for his fat-phobic articles) is the subject of the Hulu series “Shrill” starring Aidy Bryant. In her newest book, The Witches Are Coming, she flips the language of #MeToo critics on its head. West calls for a witch hunt to examine the chasm between who we are and who we think we are. She pulls no punches calling out the misogyny prevalent in the media and the exclusionary nature of American politics for women and minorities. By extolling the world-changing magic of truth, she shows us the only way out is through: through the uncomfortable reality of today’s polarized politics and through the pressure to stay silent on issues that matter. Join West at INFORUM as she pushes us to mold our culture for ourselves, rather than be molded by it. Note: This program contains explicit language. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Join us for a free live taping of a special edition of "The C-Dubb Show" podcast at The Commonwealth Club with "The Michelle Meow Show." In recent months, a big conversation in the tech community has been about claims that black voices are being censored on social media when speaking on issues of race. Facebook has been a particular focus in this conversation, as black users from across the world have complained about being censored and blocked regularly. One of those users was Carolyn Wysinger, who was featured in a USA Today article about those who have been "Zucked." Note: This program contains some explicit language. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Fifty years ago this November, a group of Native Americans that came to be known as Indians of All Tribes began a 19-month occupation of Alcatraz Island. The takeover and occupation attracted a groundswell of interest from across the United States and the globe. The initial focus of the occupation was a protest against the U.S. government's policies that took aboriginal land away from Native Americans. The Alcatraz occupation is recognized today as one of the most important events in contemporary Native American history and one of the most important public displays of the Red Power movement, a social movement that demanded self-determination for Native Americans in the United States. The occupation helped bring Native American activism to the forefront of the consciousness of the American people. The 50th anniversary of this important event is being recognized throughout the Bay Area in an effort led by the San Francisco Arts Commission. The takeover and occupation was led, in part, by Richard Oakes, a charismatic student from San Francisco State. The first biography of Oakes, A Journey to Freedom, was published late last year. Its author, Kent Blansett, will make a special visit to Marin County to discuss Oakes, the role the occupation played in the Red Power movement of the 1960s and the ongoing legacy of Native activism that was spurred by the 1969 takeover. Kent Blansett is a Cherokee, Creek, Choctaw, Shawnee and Potawatomi descendant. Blansett will also discuss the role that Marin County residents played in the start of the Alcatraz occupation, including the role of the Sausalito-Indian Navy, which helped Oakes launch the occupation late in the evening of November 20, 1969. Join us for this special event. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is the customer always right when it comes to corporate climate action? At Amazon, Microsoft, and Google, employees are the ones demanding bold change. Thousands of tech workers have gone on strike and signed public letters demanding CEO action on climate. Meanwhile, millennials — who are projected to make up three-quarters of the workplace in six years — have said they would take a pay cut to work at an environmentally-responsible company. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In recent years, LGBT candidates have made major strides in being elected to office across the country. At the same time, protections have been weakened against discrimination in health care coverage, employment, military service, and access to public and private services. Former Houston Mayor Annise Parker—the first openly LGBT mayor of a major American city—will review the results of the recent November 2019 election and look ahead to the 2020 presidential election to highlight the issues of importance to LGBTQI Americans. LGBTQ Victory Fund and Victory Institute President and CEO Annise Parker is the first former elected official to lead the organizations, having served six years as a Houston City Council member, six years as city controller and six years as mayor of the city. She is one of only two women to have been elected mayor and is the only person in Houston history to have held the offices of council member, controller and mayor. In addition to her duties as mayor, Parker was a member of President Obama’s Task Force on Climate Preparedness and Resilience, chaired the U.S. Conference of Mayors Criminal and Social Justice Committee, and served on the boards of the Texas Environmental Research Consortium and Houston Galveston Area Council. She is a past Fellow of the Institute of Politics at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. She also co-owned Inklings, a lesbian/feminist bookstore for 10 years. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our panel members will explore the depth of talent, expertise, learning, knowledge and experiences at City College in making important improvements to combat global environmental issues and problems. Environmental flexibility and plans for the college's adjacent 17 acres that were graciously leased to City College by the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission for many decades will help students, college and communities learn, address and implement important knowledge and advancements to enhance solar, wind, charging stations and sustainable learning opportunities now and in the future. Join us to discuss City College and the future of our environment. MLF Organizer: Ann Clark MLF: Environment & Natural Resources Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

To promote women in the workplace, we need to understand how to advance and support working women of all kinds: women of all races; women with disabilities; immigrant women; women of various religions; women of all ages and generations; working moms, queer/trans women; and women who are first, only or different in any way. You are invited to join a vibrant panel discussion featuring experts and intersectional feminists from various angles of the diversity and inclusion world. There will be plenty of time for audience questions. You should attend if you want to get a sense of the first critical things about being a supporter to several key areas of diversity so you can be a better ally to groups that you're not in and so that you can strengthen your feminism and your women/workplace efforts with an understanding of all women. MLF Organizer: Emily Meghan Morrow Howe MLF: Executive Womxn Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Join us for a memorable program exploring the struggles of African-American transgender women, who are the most frequent victims of anti-trans violence. Toni Newman is the executive director of St. James Infirmary in San Francisco. St. James is a peer-based occupational health and safety clinic, offering free, compassionate and nonjudgmental health care and social services for former and current sex industry workers. With the many challenges facing the aforementioned—including but not limited to political climate, homelessness, violence and the overwhelming intricacies of the legal, public and social systems—St. James Infirmary offers an independent alternative, providing individuals with culturally competent and nonjudgmental services. Monica Roberts is the founding editor of the award-winning TransGriot blog and is an award-winning human rights advocate. She is a sought-after collegiate and conference speaker who has been advocating for the human rights of transgender people for more than 20 years, with a focus on the issues affecting black trans people. Her writing has appeared at Ebony.com, The Advocate, Black Girl Dangerous and OutSmart magazine. Roberts has also received the 2018 GLAAD Media Award, the Robert Coles “Call of Service” award from Harvard University's Phillips Brooks House Association, the Virginia Prince Transgender Pioneer Award and the Barbara Jordan breaking barriers award from the Harris County Democratic Party. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In her new book, The Knowledge Gap, education journalist Natalie Wexler chronicles what she calls America’s broken education system. She cites the devastating impact, especially on underserved children, of an elementary education where she says comprehension is mistakenly seen as a matter of building generic skills, overlooking the essential need to build actual knowledge. Wexler says not only is school boring as a result, but scores on measures of reading comprehension remain stagnant. Beyond diagnosing the problem, Wexler showcases innovative educators who she says are bringing real learning into the classroom. Wexler challenges all of us to think beyond the typical excuses for failing schools and consider the need for a knowledge-rich curriculum that exposes children to vocabulary and stories that build upon each other. A senior contributor to Forbes.com, Wexler’s writing has also appeared in The New York Times, The Atlantic and The Washington Post, and she is the co-author with Judith C. Hochman of The Writing Revolution: A Guide to Advancing Thinking Through Writing in All Subjects and Grades. Kati Haycock is the founder and former CEO of Education Trust, an organization dedicated to high achievement for all students, particularly those of color or living in poverty. Kate Walsh has led the National Council on Teacher Quality for over 15 years, championing greater transparency and higher standards for all institutions that impact teacher effectiveness. Wexler will speak about her findings and then join a conversation with education advocates Kati Haycock and Kate Walsh, moderated by KIPP teacher Josh Martinez. Come for a vital discussion aimed at solving America’s education woes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Can oil companies reinvent themselves as clean energy providers? John Browne attempted it over more than a decade as CEO of British Petroleum, where he led the company's “Beyond Petroleum” rebranding campaign. In his new book, Make, Think, Imagine: Engineering the Future of Civilization, Browne argues that the solution to reducing emissions and addressing climate change is a mass deployment of engineered technology — and that the tools we need to get there already exist. Join us for a conversation on the potential of energy incumbents to become innovators. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rich Lowry, editor of National Review and author of The Case for Nationalism: How It Made Us Powerful, United, and Free, is a leading innovator in national conservative thought circles. A respected conservative commentator, Lowry joined National Review in 1992 and was hand selected by William F. Buckley Jr. to lead the magazine in 1998. He’s been a frequent guest on Fox News and is the best-selling author of Legacy: Paying the Price for the Clinton Years and Lincoln Unbound. Lowry has taken his extensive experience and conservative ideology to his new book, The Case for Nationalism: How It Made Us Powerful, United, and Free. In this book, Lowry argues that nationalism is not a dirty word, refuting criticism from the Left and the Right that nationalism means fascism, militancy and racism. Instead, Lowry shows us that nationalism means self-realization and identity, chronicling the history of America and how nationalism was integral to its success. Through The Case for Nationalism, Lowry argues that now, more than ever, is the time to rekindle a healthy sense of American nationalism in our civic life. Join us as we welcome Rich Lowry for a discussion on nationalism and why it matters. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Steve Luxenberg presents the myth-shattering story of how our nation embraced separation and the devastating consequences of that decision. Plessy v. Ferguson, the Supreme Court case synonymous with "separate but equal," created remarkably little stir when the justices announced their nearly unanimous decision on May 18, 1896. Yet it is at the center of one of the most dramatic stories of the 19th century, and its cultural reverberations are still felt today. Wending his way through a half century of American history, Luxenberg begins at the dawn of the railroad age in the North, home to the nation’s first separate railroad car, and then moves through the Civil War and Reconstruction to its aftermath: separation taking root in nearly every aspect of American life. Luxenberg draws from letters, diaries and archival collections to tell the story of Plessy v. Ferguson through the eyes of the people caught up in the case: resisters from the mixed-race community of French New Orleans, led by Louis Martinet, a lawyer and crusading newspaper editor; Homer Plessy’s lawyer, Albion Tourgée, a best-selling author and the country’s best-known white advocate for civil rights; Justice Henry Billings Brown, from antislavery New England, whose majority ruling endorsed separation; and Justice John Harlan, the southerner from a slaveholding family whose singular dissent cemented his reputation as a steadfast voice for justice. Luxenberg's new book, Separate: The Story of Plessy v. Ferguson, and America's Journey from Slavery to Segregation, has been long listed for the 2019 Cundill History Prize, an international award recognizing the best history writing in English. MLF ORGANIZER NAME George Hammond Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Football legend Jerry Rice is regarded as one of the best wide receivers ever to play in the NFL. He is a three-time Super Bowl champion and a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame and College Football Hall of Fame. Rice celebrates some of the most memorable moments in NFL history and reflects on his own love of the game. He offers a comprehensive look at the players and coaches that helped define and transform football to the cultural phenomenon it is today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

California has long led the country in environmental action. It established strong automobile emission standards; it preserved fragile lands from development; it set energy efficiency standards for buildings and appliances. But as climate change fuels megafires across the state and the state’s largest electric utility shuts off power to more than a million residents, can the state’s legacy of environmental leadership save it from climate disaster? In a state already accustomed to swinging wildly between drought and flood, what will become of the California dream? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Freedom. Ambition. Diet. Frustration. Exercise. Anxiety. Grief. These are concerns we recognize as central to the shape and scope of contemporary American life, especially life in the Bay Area. At times they seem so overwhelming as to be unique to our present moment—but they are not. In fact, much of ancient philosophy was committed to addressing and alleviating them. Ancient Athens and imperial Rome were in many ways quite similar to 21st century America. Antiquity was a world that included slaves and immigrants, plutocrats and exiles, political strife and crushing poverty. Beginning in the 4th century B.C., philosophers began to develop teachings and schools that addressed the freedom life promised and the constraints under which it unfolded. The names of two of these schools—the Stoics and the Epicureans—have so endured as to have entered the common lexicon. Along the way, however, they have lost much of their original force: We now tend to equate Stoicism with a kind of John Wayne-inflected, flat-bellied machismo. Epicureanism has become synonymous with an unbridled appetite for food, wine and “the good life.” This is a mistake. There is much we could learn and from which we could benefit by a renewed consideration of ancient thought. Please join us as we host Tony Long and Jim Porter, two of the world’s leading authorities on classical thought, in a conversation that will make relevant to our own time the teachings of ancient philosophy. Their conversation, which will touch on everything from climate crises to religion to gratitude and human dignity, will be moderated by Amanda Goldstein. Do you consider yourself a Stoic or an Epicurean? Or perhaps a Cynic, a skeptic or a Pythagorean? Join us, and experience the strength and relevance of ancient thought. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What happens when you go abroad to live and work in another culture, surrounded by the strange sounds of a different language, different food, music and customs? What does it take to achieve a successful expatriate experience? Come and learn about the diverse experiences of 14 Americans who worked and lived in various countries—from England to Vietnam, Belarus to India. Learn about their challenges and how they finally adjusted and thrived in their foreign environments. Schickel presents the results of her recent qualitative research, conducted years after she herself experienced the expat life during her two years in the U.S. Peace Corps in Morocco, which inspired her continuing interest in these issues and led to her recently successfully defended dissertation. MLF ORGANIZER NAME George Hammond NOTES MLF: Humanities Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

America’s most popular alcoholic beverages are about to take a hit from climate. Mild, sunny growing conditions have made California king of a $62 billion wine industry—from Napa Valley’s prized cabernet sauvignon to the plumy pinot noirs of Sonoma County. And more than 7,000 breweries in the United States rely on barley, a key ingredient in beer that is partial to the cool temperatures of northwestern states and Canada. But both grapes and barley are sensitive to a changing climate. And years of disruptions from drought, fires and rising temperatures have brewers and winemakers wondering: Will business as usual survive into the next generation? Join us for a conversation with Esther Mobley, wine critic for the San Francisco Chronicle, and Dan Petroski, winemaker for Larkmead Vineyards; and Katie Wallace, director of social and environmental impact at New Belgium Brewing, on how climate is reshaping the wine and beer industries—and what that means for consumers and our wallets. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Law professor Ian Haney López is one of the world’s pioneers of critical race theory. A challenger of the racial status quo, López has worked to emphasize the impact of racial divisions in the United States while also exploring how politicians exploit fractured societal structures to benefit the rich. In his newest book, Merge Left: Fusing Race and Class, Winning Elections, and Saving America, López gives progressives the tools to fight politicized racism and build a multicultural future. López describes his last two years of research with union activists, racial justice leaders and statisticians, concluding that the “middle ground” of Americans can be persuaded Right or Left depending on the narrative of America that they are given. Join us for an important conversation with esteemed professor and author Ian Haney López as he gives us the tools to rebuild a better, racially equitable future. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Monday Night Philosophy celebrates its 10th anniversary by making predictions about the future of our common wealth: the ideas and assumptions that underlie all human cultures. The Commonwealth Club is dedicated to finding truth and turning it loose in the world. But what is truth? Whatever it is, that ancient question remains provocative. To come closer to an answer, George Hammond distinguishes between those ideas that describe inherent patterns in life and those cultural ideals that are basically a group consensus on how to live life. Our 21st century cultures are rapidly increasing in cultural communication, competition, discussion and dispute. Could that set the stage for sorting out long-standing but still competing cultural assumptions about justice, virtue, the meaning of life, and the purposes of community, nation and civilization building? If so, which assumptions are headed for the discard pile? And which will prove enduring? Hammond’s predictions about where trends in how we pursue happiness are headed will probably surprise you. MLF ORGANIZER NAME George Hammond NOTES MLF: Humanities Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Green New Deal has raised hopes for a major push to address climate change and social injustice. Is it just pie in the sky? Not at all. The original New Deal of the 1930s brought a revolution in conservation and public health, worker rights and wages, income and regional equality, and public investment for the common good—all during the worst depression in history. A Green New Deal is possible because we have done it before. Come learn more about this initiative. MLF ORGANIZER NAME George Hammond NOTES MLF: Humanities Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On October 8, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law the nation’s most far-reaching bills, which are designed to prevent homelessness, protect tenants from being evicted and make it possible to create new homes for many thousands of Californians. The work was made possible by a collaboration of diverse allies who are attempting to preserve existing affordable homes, protect the families in them and produce more housing at all income levels. They were joined by a broad coalition of elected officials, including Assemblymember David Chiu, who authored several of the recently passed bills and who has made preventing homelessness and providing affordable homes to all Californians one of his signature issues. While these represent important strides, some say a great deal of work still needs to be done. On November 4, The Commonwealth Club will host a panel discussion about the implications of this new legislation as well as what the future holds for addressing the challenge of homelessness and housing in the Bay Area. The panel will include Chiu; Guillermo Mayer, president and CEO of Public Advocates—a key organization that helped advance the public call for a comprehensive housing package; Denise Pinkston, a partner at TMG Partners—a local developer that has been involved in the housing debate at the local, regional and statewide levels and that has been a strong advocate for more housing; and Gina Dalma, special adviser to the CEO and vice president of government relations at the Silicon Valley Community Foundation, where she has brought her leadership into the housing arena. The event will be moderated by Fred Blackwell, CEO of the San Francisco Foundation, which helped lead the coalition to advance the housing legislation. Larry Kramer, president of the Hewlett Foundation, which is providing unrestricted grant support to the San Francisco Foundation, will provide introductory remarks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

San Francisco is a city of contradictions. It is one of the most socially liberal cities in America, but it also has some of the nation’s worst income inequality. It is a playground for tech millionaires, with an outrageously high cost of living, yet it also supports vibrant alternative and avant-garde scenes. So how did the city get this way? San Francisco native Lincoln Mitchell traces the roots of the current situation back to 1978, when three key events occurred: the assassination of Mayor George Moscone and San Francisco Supervisor Harvey Milk occurring fewer than two weeks after the massacre of Peoples Temple members in Jonestown, Guyana; the explosion of the city’s punk rock scene; and a breakthrough season for the San Francisco Giants. Through these three strands, Mitchell explores the rifts between the city’s pro-business and progressive-Left politicians, the emergence of Dianne Feinstein as a political powerhouse, the increasing prominence of the city’s LGBT community, punk’s reinvigoration of the Bay Area’s radical cultural politics, and the ways that the Giants helped unify one of the most ethnically and culturally diverse cities in the nation. Join us for a panel discussion of four leaders who influenced this seminal cultural transformation. MLF Organizer: George Hammond MLF: Humanities Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This event explores faith and inequity among the seriously ill and dying in our healthcare system. What role does spirituality play at end of life and in a health care setting? How can healthcare providers build trust with patients across cultures and faith traditions? How can we address the inequities faced by African Americans when seeking care at the end of life? Join Pastor Corey Kennard, Healthcare Activist and Lead Pastor of Detroit’s Amplify Christian Church, and Dr. Jessica Zitter, author and physician at Oakland’s Highland Hospital, for a rich conversation about improving end of life care. MLF Organizer: Mark Zitter MLF: Health & Medicine This event is part of the Reimagine End of Life, a festival exploring big questions about life and death through creativity and conversation, taking place throughout the Bay Area on Oct. 24-Nov. 3, 2019. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 2013, Bob Satawake accompanied his husband, Ambassador James "Wally" Brewster, to the Dominican Republic for what would be a historic and controversial tour of duty representing the United States in the island nation. As the first gay diplomatic spouse in the Western Hemisphere, Satawake received little if any guidance from the U.S. State Department on navigating his new role. As a result, he had little choice but to break the sometimes rigid protocols of diplomatic life. Come hear Satawake and Brewster talk about their experience making a new path as openly gay diplomats in a conservative and religious country, overcoming obstacles with kindness and sensitivity. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this lecture, Harvard-trained physician Akil Palanisamy will describe the outlines of a comprehensive road map to heart health, sharing research on the optimal heart-healthy diet, cutting-edge nutritional science, key vitamins and supplements, and the evidence-based practices and techniques of integrative medicine. He will share practical tips on what to eat in order to maintain lifelong cardiovascular well-being and vitality, and he will have detailed and practical information about implementing these concepts in our daily lives. MLF Organizer: Patty James MLF: Health & Medicine Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices