The events continue the college’s year-long reflection on the 250th anniversary of the U.S.
Clockwise from top left: Vivek Murthy, Evan Horowitz, Leela Strong, Keely Curliss, Chris Edelson, Susie Hayward, Kerry Collins, Fatimah, Fanusie, Paul Pate, and Steve Simon.
Featuring filmmakers, public servants, researchers, faith leaders, historians, and community organizers, the Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life’s event programming this fall will continue its year-long reflection on the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States.
Many of the events will explore the question: What’s next for American democracy?
Complimenting that theme, Tisch College’s 2026 Civic Life Lunch series will look at the ways democracy is practiced in everyday life: in decision-making, navigating disagreement, and community building.
Events take place across Tufts’ campuses and are free and open to the community. Visit the Tisch College events page for details and to register.
Solomont Speaker Series: Dr. Vivek Murthy
Friday, September 25 | 2 p.m. | DeBlois Auditorium, MedEd Building (Boston)
Join a conversation with the 19th and 21st Surgeon General of the United States and New York Times best-selling author Vivek Murthy about his book Together: The Healing Power of Human Connection in a Sometimes Lonely World. In his book, Murthy makes a case for loneliness as a public health concern: a root cause and contributor to many of the epidemics sweeping the world today, from alcohol and drug addiction to depression and anxiety. He notes that loneliness also has implications far beyond our health: It affects how children experience school, how we navigate and perform at work, and the sense of division and polarization felt across the country.
Register for in-person or virtual attendance.
Civic Life Lunch: Massachusetts Ballot Questions 2026—Know Before You Vote
Wednesday, October 7 | noon | Barnum Hall 104 (Medford)
Thursday, October 8 | noon | MedEd Building B09 (Boston)
Massachusetts voters will decide nine ballot questions this fall, including whether to prohibit retail sale of recreational marijuana use, expand the public records law, provide more frequent tax refunds, boost single-family “starter homes,” and more. Join a lunch and learn conversation with Evan Horowitz, executive director of Tisch College’s Center for State Policy Analysis (cSPA), as he shares key takeaways and analysis from cSPA’s 2026 ballot guides and answers your questions. Learn more about what’s on the ballot this November and how it could impact the commonwealth.
Register for in-person or virtual attendance for Medford, or in-person attendance in Boston.
All The Empty Rooms: Oscar-Winning Documentary Screening and Conversation
Thursday, October 8 | 5:30 p.m. | Barnum Hall LL08 (Medford)
Join an exclusive screening of the acclaimed, Academy Award-winning documentary All the Empty Rooms, followed by an insightful Q&A with the Tufts alumni who helped bring this powerful story to life. Stay after for a discussion and celebratory reception with food, drinks, and conversation with the creative team and Tufts alums behind the film: Joshua Seftel, A90, Avi Bond, A21, Eric Nichols, A11, Vikram Akula, A90, and Anna Bick Rowe, A12. The conversation will be moderated by Tufts faculty members Howard Woolf and Julie Dobrow.
Visit the All the Empty Rooms website to learn more about the film.
Research in Action: Can Gen Z Reshape Our Democracy This November?
Thursday, October 15 | 6 p.m. | Virtual
Nearly 50 million young people ages 18-29 are eligible to vote in the 2026 midterm elections, making them a major potential force in shaping electoral outcomes and the future of our democracy. Hear from experts at the Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE) at Tufts University’s Tisch College of Civic Life as they share exclusive new data on young people’s political views, issue priorities, and likelihood of participation—plus which races young people are poised to have the biggest impact on.
Stealing America: The Hidden Story of Indigenous Slavery in U.S. History
Monday, October 19 | 5 p.m. | Fung House, 48 Professors Row (Medford)
Join a book talk conversation with professor, historian, and author Linford Fisher, professor of history and faculty director of the Center for Digital Scholarship at Brown University. Fisher will be discussing his new book, Stealing America: The Hidden Story of Indigenous Slavery in U.S. History. Shortlisted for the prestigious Cundill History Prize, Stealing America demonstrates how the enslavement of Indigenous people began in the years just after 1492, ensnaring an estimated three to six million Natives throughout the Americas. The book not only uncovers a five-century genocidal history but also illuminates the myriad ways Native Americans have fought for their sovereignty and maintained community.
Registration is not required.
Civic Life Lunch: Cultivating Care—Land, Food, and the Relationships We Build
Tuesday, October 20 | noon | Varis Lecture Hall (Grafton)
What does it take to build a farm that sustains both land and community? Join a conversation with Keely Curliss, manager and director of Pequoig Farm. Drawing on her work as a Nipmuc farmer, organizer, and seed keeper, Keely will explore the relationships among land stewardship, food sovereignty, and cultural connection.
Located on 181 acres returned to Nipmuc stewardship in North Central Massachusetts, Pequoig Farm is a food sovereignty project by and for Nipmucs. The farm raises livestock and grows traditional and storage crops, including flint corn, dry beans, pumpkins, and sunchokes, while creating opportunities for land-based education and community.
The Presidency Unbound? The Evolution of Emergency Presidential Power and the Rise of Authoritarianism
Wednesday, October 21 | noon | Barnum Hall 104 (Medford)
As America celebrates the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, how has presidential power evolved in the United States since the Constitution was enacted? Join a conversation with Professor Chris Edelson, constitutional scholar and a lecturer in the political science department at UMass Amherst, on executive authority, the rise of authoritarianism, and what’s at stake for American democracy.
Edelson is the author of three books on presidential power, including his most recent book Above the Law? The Evolution of Emergency Presidential Power.
Register for in-person or virtual attendance.
Solomont Speaker Series: Can We Trust Our Elections?
Thursday, October 22 | 6 p.m. | Virtual
How safe are U.S. elections, really? Two weeks before the midterm elections, join a virtual conversation on election security, state vs. federal power, voter protections, misinformation, and election preparedness. Hear about what’s happening on the ground to ensure every vote—and every voter—counts. The conversation will feature Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon, A92, (D) and Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate (R) and will be moderated by Leela Strong, Newhouse Director of the Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement at Tisch College.
Learn more about Secretary Steve Simon and Secretary Paul Pate.
Registration for virtual attendance required.
Solomont Speaker Series and Russell Lecture on Spiritual Life: Dr. Fatimah Fanusie—“America’s Buried Inheritance: The Forgotten Story of the Qur’an and the Formation of Human Freedom”
Wednesday, October 28 | 5:30 p.m. | Goddard Chapel (Medford)
Join this year’s joint Russell Lecture on Spiritual Life and Solomont Speaker Series event with Tufts alumna Fatimah Fanusie, AG01. Fanusie is a U.S. historian and lecturer whose work is at the heart of an evolving reappraisal of the study of African American Islam, the modern Civil Rights Movement, and African Diaspora culture. Her research into the 20th century development of Islam in America chronicles the explicit and covert activities of a little known, non-orthodox group of Indian Muslims, the Ahmadiyya, operating in Europe and North America. Her scholarship on this history enriches the understanding of the contemporary American Islamic scene and of America’s religious evolution.
Learn more about Dr. Fatimah Fanusie.
Civic Life Lunch: More Than a Jersey—On the Team, in the Community
Wednesday, November 4 | noon | Barnum Hall 104 (Medford)
What comes with representing something larger than yourself?
A jersey connects an athlete to a team, an institution, and a community. That connection can bring expectations and opportunities that have little to do with the final score.
Join a conversation with Kerry Collins, former senior director of Community Relations for the Boston Bruins. Drawing on more than two decades with the organization, Collins will offer a behind-the-scenes perspective on how athletes can use their influence, navigate institutional priorities, and work with others to create meaningful change in their communities. The conversation will explore what it takes to turn individual initiative into collective action as student-athletes find their voices within the teams and institutions they represent.
Registration for in-person and virtual attendance.
Solomont Speaker Series: Rev. Dr. Susie Hayward on “We Protect Us: Neighborism and the Renewal of Democracy in Minneapolis”
November 5 | 5:30 p.m. | Goddard Chapel (Medford)
What does it mean to be a good neighbor amid trauma, violence, and fear? How might pluralism and interfaith solidarity help communities resist nationalism and authoritarianism—and renew democracy from the ground up? Join Susie Hayward, A02, F06, for a lecture and conversation exploring the ethic and practice of “neighborism” that emerged in response to ICE’s Operation Metro Surge in Minneapolis. Drawing on her experience alongside faith leaders, organizers, and immigrant communities, Hayward will consider what Minneapolis can teach us about resisting fear, rebuilding civic trust, and creating communities in which everyone belongs.
Learn more about Rev. Dr. Susie Hayward.
