Commonwealth Club of California Podcast

Join us for a virtual discussion with Theodore Johnson, who begins his book When the Stars Begin to Fall by declaring that “Racism is an existential threat to America.” Johnson argues that our society's continuing racism not only contradicts the American Promise enshrined in our Constitution that all men and women are inherently equal, but also continues to corrode our society after a quarter of a millennium. If we cannot overcome it, he says, the United States may continue as a geopolitical powerhouse, but it will fail to make good on the promise that made America unique on Earth, and gave hope to the oppressed throughout the world.Johnson makes a compelling case for a pathway to the national solidarity necessary to mitigate racism. Weaving memories of his own family’s multi-generational experiences with racism, alongside strands of history, Johnson posits that a blueprint for national solidarity can be found in the exceptional citizenship long practiced in Black America. Understanding that racism is a structural crime of the state, he argues that overcoming it requires us to recognize that a color-conscious society―not a color-blind one―is the true fulfillment of the American Promise. Fueled by his ultimate faith in the American project, grounded in his family’s longstanding optimism and his own military service, he offers an urgent call to undertake the process of overcoming what has long seemed intractable.SPEAKERSTheodore JohnsonSr. Fellow, Brennan Center for Justice; Former Commander, U.S. Navy; White House Fellow, Obama Admin.; Speechwriter, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; Author, When the Stars Begin to Fall: Overcoming Racism & Renewing the Promise of AmericaSheryl DavisExecutive Director, San Francisco Human Rights Commission—ModeratorIn response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on June 15th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After the Cold War, America sought to protect as many democracies as possible and stamp out any threat of authoritarianism around the world. Now, 30 years after the breakup of the Soviet Union, political scientists have observed a global rise in authoritarian governments—even in America itself. After the 2016 election of President Donald Trump, Ben Rhodes, a former White House aide and close confidant to President Barack Obama, sought to discover why nations have been opting for populism and tyranny over democracy.In his new book After the Fall: Being American in the World We've Made, Rhodes documents his three years of world travel, speaking with politicians, activists, and dissidents confronting the same nationalism that has been tearing America apart. He says the acceptance of unrestricted capitalism after the Cold War, post-9/11 nationalism, mania for technology and media, and modern racism that Americans refuse to confront have all contributed to our nation’s faltering under authoritarian leadership.With experience managing international conflict, Rhodes is an exemplary scholar in considering the global condition of humanity and how we can once again turn to democracy and equity. Join us for a look at where America has gone wrong and how essential it is to fight for what America is supposed to be.NOTESThis program is part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation.SPEAKERSBen RhodesFormer Deputy National Security Advisor to President Obama; Author, After the Fall: Being American in the World We’ve Made; Twitter @brhodesIn Conversation with Jennifer PalmieriFormer White House Communications Director; Co-Host, "The Circus" on Showtime; Author, She Proclaims: Our Declaration of Independent from a Man’s World; Twitter @jmpalmieriIn response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on June 14th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transportation policymakers face two overlapping, once-in-a-generation opportunities: electrifying the nation’s vehicle fleet and re-establishing a stable source of federal and state revenue for transportation.As states and the Biden administration begin a push to rapidly electrify the U.S. fleet for climate reasons, policymakers are under increasing pressure to rethink how states and the federal government fund transportation infrastructure and services. For decades, motor fuel taxes have generated the majority of state and federal funds spent on transportation, even if recently these taxes have been losing their purchasing power. However, a shift to electric vehicles will require a new transportation funding model.The speakers will discuss the challenges and opportunities with such options as mileage fees, carbon taxes, higher vehicle registration fees, or a shift entirely away from user-generated revenue.This program is supported by the Mineta Transportation Institute at San José State University.SPEAKERSSpecial Guest, The Honorable Pete ButtigiegU.S. Secretary of TransportationKaren PhilbrickPh.D., Executive Director, Mineta Transportation Institute—Program EmceeOpening Remarks: U.S. Senator Alex PadillaU.S. Senator (D-CA); Former California Secretary of StateKeynote: Toks OmishakinDirector, California Department of Transportation (Caltrans)Event Moderator: Therese McMillanExecutive Director, Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC)Asha Weinstein Agrawal, Ph.D.Director, MTI National Transportation Finance CenterCarl GuardinoExecutive Vice President, Government Affairs and Policy, Bloom EnergyCarlos Braceras, P.E.Executive Director, Utah Department of TransportationDan Sperling, Ph.D.Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California DavisIn response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on June 11th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dating in the digital age has never been more complicated. Nancy Jo Sales, a New York Times-bestselling author and journalist, found herself at the center of the addictive and corporate world of online dating after she downloaded Tinder. She wasn’t alone; in a 2015 Vanity Fair article, Sales shared stories from millennials who use dating apps on a near-constant basis, transforming physical attraction into a “free-market economy” that facilitates quick and often temporary attachments. She later directed and released the 2018 HBO documentary Swiped: Hooking Up in the Digital Age, a study of how the algorithms of big tech impact govern our dating lives even if companies claim their addictive effects are incidental.In her new book, Nothing Personal: My Secret Life in the Dating App Inferno, Sales critiques the dating app industry for its calculated ability to warp our senses of self. At INFORUM, she will share her personal experiences and broader observations on how we can and should cope with our deepening relationship to the technology that purportedly brings us closer to that special someone.SPEAKERSNancy Jo SalesJournalist, Vanity Fair; Author, Nothing Personal: My Secret Life in the Dating App InfernoMyisha BattleSex and Dating Coach; Founder, Sex for Life, LLCIn response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on June 17th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

CNN’s Jake Tapper is one of the most respected people in news today. As CNN’s chief Washington anchor and co-host of “State of the Union,” Tapper has sat down with presidents, covered inaugurations, and continues to interview senators, dignitaries and newsmakers week in and week out.In his new novel The Devil May Dance, Tapper continues the story started in his previous bestseller, The Hellfire Club. Taking us into the world of political stars Charlie and Margaret Marder, Tapper re-creates the world of the 1960s, complete with backroom deals and secret societies. In this new journey, they befriend dazzling celebrities like Frank Sinatra and must learn to deal with sinister forces from Hollywood’s stages and the newly founded Church of Scientology.Jake Tapper has covered historical political events such as the inauguration of President Barack Obama and the death of Osama bin Laden. His work has won him several awards, including an Emmy for Outstanding Live Coverage of a Current News Story and the Edward R. Murrow Award.NOTESThis program is part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation. SPEAKERSJake TapperAnchor and Chief Washington Correspondent, CNN; Author, The Devil May DanceIn Conversation with Clara JefferyEditor in Chief, Mother Jones; Twitter@ClaraJefferyIn response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on June 10th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From activism to political campaigns to corporate advertising, the power of music and images is undeniable. So how can the arts inspire and advance the climate conversation? For more than three decades, Shepard Fairey’s work has provoked thought and controversy in the art and political spheres. Now, with a public weary of climate charts and apocalyptic images of melting glaciers and emaciated polar bears, we explore how the arts can provoke a more productive conversation with Fairey and Grammy-nominated hip hop artist Mystic. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Best-selling author Mark Shaw returns to The Commonwealth Club to discuss his latest book, Collateral Damage, in his ongoing investigative research into the connections between the mysterious deaths of motion picture screen siren Marilyn Monroe, President John F. Kennedy, and "What’s My Line?" TV star and crack investigative reporter Dorothy Kilgallen.Shaw argues that if Robert Kennedy had been prosecuted for what Shaw calls his complicity in the death of Marilyn Monroe in 1962, his campaign against Mafia leaders as attorney general would have been sidetracked, and so there would have been no reason for Bobby’s Mafia enemies to assassinate his brother JFK in 1963. There would also have been no reason for them to kill media icon Dorothy Kilgallen, since it was her explosive investigation into JFK’s death that led to the famous reporter’s death in 1965.Hear the details of Shaw's latest research, and send in your questions during the live-stream discussion.MLF ORGANIZERGeorge HammondNOTESMLF: HumanitiesSPEAKERSMark ShawAuthor, Collateral Damage: The Mysterious Deaths of Marilyn Monroe and Dorothy Kilgallen and the Ties that Bind them to Robert Kennedy and the JFK AssassinationIn Conversation with George HammondAuthor, Conversations With SocratesIn response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on June 10th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In response to high risks of suicide, substance abuse, depression and victimization among LGBTQ adolescents, new emphasis is being placed upon the role that family support plays in reducing LGBTQ children's risks and strengthening their families. in May, the Family Acceptance Project (FAP) at San Francisco State University released a series of eight new Asian-language posters to share critical information from FAP’s peer-reviewed studies and family support work to help prevent suicide and other serious health risks and to promote well-being for AAPI LGBTQ children and youth.Join us for a conversation with FAP's director and two parents of AAPI LGBTQI children.About the SpeakersMarsha Aizumi is an author, speaker, educator and advocate for the LGBTQ+ community. She serves on the PFLAG National Board and is co-founder and former president of PFLAG San Gabriel Valley Asian Pacific Islander. She and her son, Aiden, have spoken to more than 250 organizations, corporations and universities around the United States, and Marsha has spoken in China and Japan. She helped to develop the Family Acceptance Project Asian language posters. Marsha and her son, Aiden, co-wrote, Two Spirits, One Heart, a memoir that chronicles her journey with her transgender son from shame, sadness, and fear to pride, joy, gratitude, and hope.Clara Lee is a proud Korean mother of a bisexual/queer son with trans experience. She is the founder of the API Rainbow Parents of PFLAG NYC chapter, which supports LGBTQ individuals and families of Asian heritage, fosters intergenerational dialogue, and addresses culture-specific needs of the Asian and Pacific Islander community. Lee also serves on the board of PFLAG NYC and is a co-founder of Korean American Rainbow Parents, a network of Korean parents and family with LGBTQ loved ones.Caitlin Ryan, Ph.D., ACSW, is a clinical social worker, educator and researcher who has worked on LGBTQ health and mental health for more than 40 years and whose work on LGBTQ health has shaped policy and practice for LGBTQ and gender diverse children and youth. She directs the Family Acceptance Project at San Francisco State University—a research, education, intervention and policy project—that helps ethnically, racially and religiously diverse families to support their LGBTQ children. Dr. Ryan and her team conducted the first research on LGBTQ youth and families and developed the first evidence-based family support model that helps families and caregivers to decrease rejection and health risks and to increase family acceptance to promote well-being for LGBTQ children and youth. This includes developing research-based guidance resources, including FAP’s multilingual Healthy Futures posters and “Best Practice” resources for suicide prevention with LGBTQ youth.SPEAKERSMarsha AizumiCo-founder and Former President, PFLAG San Gabriel Valley Asian Pacific Islander; Co-Author, Two Spirits, One Heart; Speaker; AdvocateClara LeeFounder, API Rainbow Parents of PFLAG NYC Chapter; Co-founder, Korean American Rainbow ParentsCaitlin RyanPh.D., ACSW, Clinical Social Worker; Educator; Researcher; Director, Family Acceptance Project, San Francisco State UniversityMichelle MeowProducer and Host, "The Michelle Meow Show," KBCW/KPIX and Podcast; Member, Commonwealth Club Board of Governors—HostIn response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on June 10th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Abraham Lincoln announced the end of slavery in 1862, but it wasn’t until two and a half years later on June 19, 1865, that the news finally reached enslaved people in Texas.Pulitzer Prize-winning historian and Texas native Annette Gordon-Reed chronicles the country’s long road to Juneteenth, recounting both its origins in Texas and the enormous hardships that African Americans have endured from Reconstruction through Jim Crow and beyond.Her new book On Juneteenth provides the context and reminder that the fight for equality is still ongoing in our country.SPEAKERSAnnette Gordon-ReedCarl M. Loeb University Professor, Harvard University; Author, On Juneteenth; Twitter @agordonreedIn conversation with Judge LaDoris Cordell(Ret); Twitter @judgecordellIn response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on June 9th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The way people conceptualize mental illness, and how they talk about it, differs around the world. A new book—Nobody's Normal, by George Washington University Professor of Anthropology Roy Richard Grinker—examines the ways in which culture and historical contexts have shaped our beliefs, stigma and social norms around mental health.In conversation with journalist and Divergent Mind author Jenara Nerenberg, Grinker will share what families, doctors, and everyday people can do to create a more welcoming and accepting society. Through his research in Africa, Asia and the United States, and with stories from hunter gatherers to family physicians, there are lessons to be learned that challenge the very notion of "normal" to begin with.Grinker is also the editor-in-chief of Anthropological Quarterly and the author of Unstrange Minds.MLF ORGANIZERRobert Lee KilpatrickNOTESMLF: Health & MedicineSPEAKERSRoy Richard GrinkerPh.D., Professor of Anthropology, George Washington University; Editor-in-Chief, Anthropological Quarterly; Author, Nobody's Normal: How Culture Created the Stigma of Mental IllnessIn Conversation with Jenara NerenbergAuthor, Divergent Mind; Journalist, University of California, Berkeley; Founder, The Neurodiversity ProjectIn response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on June 10th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices