Racism and Democracy
Panel discussion with Jelani Cobb, Mary Hooks, and Bitta Mostofi, moderated by Dr. Johnnetta Betsch Cole.
Democratic CHANGE: A World Without Prisons
Ruth Wilson Gilmore in conversation with Mariame Kaba.
Democratic CHANGE: Work in 2020 and Beyond
Felicia Wong, Michelle Holder, Paul Krugman, and Brigid Schulte discuss the pandemic’s effects on the U.S. workforce.
Conference on Coalitional Democracy
Three panels will discuss the latest thinking on coalitions and their relationship to political parties and social movements.
In fall 2018 the CUNY Graduate Center launched The Promise and Perils of Democracy to examine the state of democracy and envision its future in a rapidly changing world.
This website encapsulates the ideas shared by leaders and scholars from the Graduate Center and across the world. It has become a resource to many, especially amid the crises and turmoil of the last few years. We invite you to explore the event videos, news, and scholarship posted here.
Our deep thanks to Carnegie Corporation of New York for its generous support of this vital project.
Fighting for Democracy in the Workplace: The New Labor Movement
The final event of our The Promise and Perils of Democracy series concerned the very core of democracies - the well-being of its constituent members: fair wages and working conditions for workers, their families, and their communities.
Nancy Pelosi in Conversation with Paul Krugman
Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi - 52nd speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives and the first woman to serve as speaker - enters the conversation with Nobel Prize–winning economist Paul Krugman, distinguished professor of economics and a senior scholar at the Stone Center on Socio-Economic Inequality at the CUNY Graduate Center. Photo Credit: Photo: Paula Vlodkowsky
Can Democracy Survive in the US?
Katrina vanden Heuvel, publisher and editorial director of The Nation, moderates a conversation between Jamelle Bouie, columnist for The New York Times Opinion section, and Corey Robin, Political Science professor at Brooklyn College and the CUNY Graduate Center.
Frances Moore Lappé in Conversation with John Torpey
"Hunger is not created by a scarcity of food; hunger is created by a scarcity of democracy:" Frances Moore Lappé discusses her thoughts on the role of food, on how to create a living democracy, and how everyday people can reverse democracy’s decline, with John Torpey.
Latinos, Elections, and the Future of American Democracy
Last night -introduced by Robin L. Garrell, President of the Graduate Center- brought together an audience of people interested in Latinx voter issues and US democracy. Please enjoy some snapshots from the lively conversation.
The Promise and Perils of Democracy: Welcome to the Spring 2023 Series
The Promise and Perils of Democracy series is back with five new events examining the state of US democracy. As usual, we invited a diverse groups of scholars, activists, journalists, and other experts to put them in conversation – both in virtual and in live formats. Image credit: iStock.com/krie