Speaker(s): Richard Perloff, CSU Professor of Communication; Rachael Collyer, Organizer and Program Director, Ohio Student Association; Melekte Melaku, ACLU Cleveland Organizing Strategist How effective are protests in changing systemic racism? Organized dissent provides a powerful mechanism for marginalized voices to be heard. Are protests more compelling than progressive legislation?  What produces lasting, progressive change in … Continue reading Frank Talk on the Protest Movement

Speakers: Jonathan Entin, David L. Brennan Professor Emeritus of Law and Adjunct Professor of Political Science, CWRU The November election is happening against a backdrop of unprecedented social, political, and economic challenges. Misinformation has been spread about the rarity of election fraud. Early winners cannot be announced in all states since approximately 40% of absentee … Continue reading A Contested Presidential Election? What’s at Stake?

Speaker: Brent Larkin, PD Columnist, and former PD Editor Democracy is based on the will of informed citizens. Truth and facts are the basis of journalism.  Without public accountability, corruption can flourish in all levels of government. Given our political division, the decline of fact based journalism, and the rise of social media, a comprehensive … Continue reading Crisis in Journalism, Democracy, and the Facts

Speakers: Tom Sutton, Political Science Professor, Baldwin Wallace, and Director, Community Research Institute Ohio has 8 million registered voters. Turnout was 55% in 2018.  What was it in 2020? What role did Covid-19, economic uncertainty, grassroots activism, protests, gerrymandering, online negative messaging, and super-PACS play in this election?  How have the political parties been changed?  … Continue reading The 2020 Presidential Election: What Happened?

Speaker: Dr. Gregory Hall, MD Director, CSU Partnerships for Urban Health; Assistant Professor, CWRU School of Medicine, and Former Chair, Ohio Commission of Minority Health. Covid-19 and other diseases disproportionately affect African Americans in severity and numbers. Life expectancy in poverty stricken African American areas of Cleveland is typically more than 20 years less than … Continue reading Racism, Health Care Inequities, and the Future

Speakers: Allan Georgia, Ph.D., Director of Religious Education, Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Cleveland; Timothy Beal, Professor and Chair, CWRU Department of Religious Studies. QAnon conspiracies and right wing religious cults are on the rise.  Why?  What are their beliefs?  What role can the study of new religious movements play in helping us understand and deal … Continue reading QAnon Conspiracies, Religion and Politics – What’s Coming?

Speakers: Erika Anthony, Executive Director, Ohio Transformation Fund; Crystal Bryant, Director, Cuyahoga County Office of Reentry The crisis of mass incarceration and racial inequality continues. Of Ohio’s 45,000 inmates, 45% are African American but they comprise only 14% of the population. Judges wield immense power via length of sentence and by fines, fees, and bail. … Continue reading Mass Incarceration, Judges, and Reentry: An Overview 

Speaker(s): Daniel Flannery, CWRU Professor and Director, Begun Center for Violence Prevention; David Weiss, Mayor of Shaker Heights; Carole Ballard, Director, Education & Training, ADAMHS Board of Cuyahoga County; Jeffrey DeMuth, Shaker Heights Police Chief. Nine out of 10 calls for police are for nonviolent encounters.  Nationally, there’s talk about defunding the police and reallocating … Continue reading Community Safety Challenges, Oversight and Reforms

Speakers: Johnie Rose, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor and Program Director, Preventive Medicine Residency Program, CWRU School of Medicine and Director, UH Preventive Medicine Residency One out of every 17 people in the US has had Covid19. Approximately 80% of the population must be immune before normal lifestyles can return.  When might this happen? Are current … Continue reading Living with COVID-19: What’s Next Medically?

Speakers: Jessie Hill, Professor, CWRU Law School; Catrina Otonoga, Preterm Manager, Policy and Partnerships Since the 1973 Roe v Wade Decision, abortions have grown increasingly restrictive.  Between 2011 and 2019, states enacted 483 new abortion restrictions. In 2017 Ohio had 14 facilities providing abortions. Now there are 9. Given the current US Supreme Court, what … Continue reading Reproductive Freedom: Supreme Court or State’s Rights

Speakers: Tom Sutton, Political Science Professor, Baldwin Wallace and Director, Community Research Institute. Biden’s margin of victory was half what had been predicted in 2020.  Less than 6% of survey respondents answer phones due to robocalls.  Internet polling samples based on income, race, age, or education, pose formidable challenges. Much of democracy depends on being … Continue reading Politics and Polling: What Went Wrong?

Speaker(s): Bob Rosenbaum, Advertising and Market Development, Heights Observer; Melissa Hirsch, Owner, Unbar Café, Shaker Heights; Katie Van Dyke, Director, CSU Ohio Small Business Development Center, Cleveland. Amazon’s profit last quarter: 5.2 billion; Walmart’s recent profits: 1 billion/month. While these earnings show huge gains, the pandemic has particularly hit small business. Many have closed. How can small … Continue reading Small Businesses: Chronicling the Effects of Covid-19