Political Speech and The Public Square

Event Dates: To be announced

Event Location: The Diag

Event Duration: 1 hour; 12pm – 12:50pm

Format: Speakers must sign up in advance; Each speaker has 2 minutes; Moderator will guide with rules of engagement.

PLEASE NOTE THAT THE NEW TOPIC AND DATES FOR THESE EVENTS WILL BE ANNOUNCED FALL 2025

The University of Michigan is an institution with diverse communities, interests and opinions. This fall, the Faculty Senate Office, supported by Year of Democracy, Civic Empowerment, and Global Engagement, the Michigan in Washington (MIW) program, and the Ginsberg Center, is launching the series – Political Speech and the Public Square – to provide a forum for members of the U-M community to present informed, fact-based perspectives, and to listen to and learn from each other. In his essay, “Education as a Space to Change Your Mind,” philosopher Troy Jollimore reminds us of Socrates’ commitment to open-mindedness: “It requires that we work toward developing a sense of the world as a vast and complex place that we can, and ought to, continue to learn about for the rest of our lives.”

Offered in this spirit of intellectual humility, to support the principles of academic freedom, and to develop a campus climate comfortable with hearing different well-informed points of view, even those counter to one’s own views, the lunchtime series will take place on the Diag on four biweekly Tuesdays in September and October leading up to the general election. Any student, staff, or faculty member of the University can sign up in advance to speak on the weekly topic for 2 minutes. Or you can simply come to listen and learn.

Past Events

• September 10, 2024, on the topic of Climate Policy:
  • Moderator: Neeraja Aravamudan, Director, Ginsberg Center
  • Summary of the September 10th event
• October 8, 2024, on the topic of Reproductive Rights
  • Moderator: Amanda Healy, Assistant Director for University-Community Partnerships, Ginsberg Center
  • Summary of the October 8th event
• October 22, 2024, on the topic of Current Crisis in the Middle East
  • Moderator: Mark Tessler, Samuel J Eldersveld Collegiate Professor of Political Science, Professor of Political Science, College of Literature, Science, and the Arts and Research Professor, Center for Political Studies, Institute for Social Research
  • Summary of the October 22nd event

Future Events

• This series will return in the winter term.