April 2021
Navigating Life and Sport as a Black Muslim Woman
Ibtihaj Muhammad Moderator: Dr. Shadee Malaklou, Asst. Professor & Chair, Women's and Gender Studies Join us for a conversation with 2016 Olympic bronze medalist Ibtihaj Muhammad, the first American woman to compete in hijab. As a sports ambassador for the U.S. Department of State’s Empowering Women and Girls through Sport Initiative and named one of TIME magazine’s 100 Most Influential People, Ibtihaj is a self-described “change agent” and—as Mattel describes her— “shero” to young girls everywhere. In conversation with Berea…
Find out more »Reporting on Appalachian Kentucky
Bill Estep Moderator: Dr. Chris Green, Director, Appalachian Center & Assoc. Professor of Appalachian Studies Bill Estep has reported on Appalachian Kentucky since 1985 for the Lexington Herald-Leader. While the coal industry has withered and substance abuse worsened, the region has also improved its schools and stepped up efforts to diversify and rebuild the economy. Estep will share lessons learned from 38 years of covering Appalachian Kentucky, as well as the joys and difficulties of reporting about this region where…
Find out more »May 2021
The Link Between Happiness and Creativity
Margaret Renkl Moderator: Silas House Our ancestors didn’t think of creativity as a side gig. A quilt was meant to keep a family warm. It was meant to give a new practical use to the unworn bits of worn-out clothes. But our family quilts were never simply warm and never simply practical. They were beautiful, and making them brought their makers happiness. Renkl, an author and contributing opinion writer for the New York Times, believes that expressing our own creativity—whether…
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