‘Voices of Public Intellectuals’ Lecture Series Kicks Off

Following a successful run last fall, the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study will again host its “Voices of Public Intellectuals” lecture series this spring with a focus on “Feminisms and the Practice of Democracy.” Cosponsored by Radcliffe Seminars and the Graduate Consortium in Women’s Studies, this year’s series kicks off on Monday, Feb. 7, at 6:30 p.m., with Clare Dalton, law professor at Northeastern University, who will speak on “The Impact of Violence on Women’s Civic Participation.”

A nationally renowned legal scholar, Dalton is the executive director of the Domestic Violence Institute at Northeastern and is currently coauthoring a textbook on domestic violence and the law.

Radcliffe Seminars is also offering a guided reading and discussion group to accompany the lecture series for those who wish to extend the educational experience of the lectures or add a more interactive dimension. This group meets bi-weekly on Monday evenings, alternating with the weekly lectures. Discussion group members have an opportunity to prepare themselves for the lectures by reading and discussing a customized packet of background materials provided by the invited speakers, including, in some instances, copies of the speakers’ own previously published work. Additional lectures in the series:Monday, Feb. 21: “Women’s Leadership and the Politics of Transformation: Cases from Around the Caribbean and South Africa,” led by Dessima Williams, professor of sociology at Brandeis University and founder of the Grenada Education and Development Program.Monday, March 6: “The Great Arizona Orphan Abduction: Women, Race, and Citizenship on the Mexican Border,” led by Linda Gordon, professor of history at the University of Wisconsin and former Guggenheim and Ford Foundation fellow.Monday, March 20: “Rethinking Gender Race, and Power,” led by Lani Guinier, professor of law at Harvard University, distinguished author and founder of Commonplace, a nonprofit engaging citizens in civic dialogue. Monday, April 3: “From Profiling to Plastic Surgery,” led by Patricia Williams, professor of law at Columbia University and columnist for The Nation of the biweekly column, “Diary of a Mad Law Professor.”Monday, April 17: “Facing Our Demons and Our Angels: The Role of Religious Commitment in the Practice of Democracy,” led by Rita Nakashima Brock, director of Bunting Fellowship program at the Radcliffe Institute and acclaimed theologian.