A sold-out audience at Saturday night’s Richmond Forum program with Dr. Cornel West and Thomas Chatterton Williams also got their first look at the speakers who will take the stage at America’s largest nonprofit speaker series during the 2023-2024 season.
The Richmond Forum’s 38th season will kick off in November with a captivating presentation by author Isabel Wilkerson. The mass movement of African Americans from the rural South to the urban North between 1916 and 1970 was a defining force in American history. Wilkerson, author of “Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents” and “The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America’s Great Migration,” will present the impact of this migration on American society, culture, and politics and will share stories of the challenges and triumphs faced by those who dared to uproot themselves from everything they knew in pursuit of a better future. Wilkerson will bring to light Richmond’s role in the Great Migration, the consequential shifts in our city’s demographics, and the issues that linger today.
For its January 2024 program, The Richmond Forum will present National Geographic photographer Joel Sartore. Sartore is the founder of The Photo Ark, a multi-year documentary project aimed at saving animal species from extinction and protecting their habitats from destruction. The Photo Ark has documented more than 13,000 species to date. With his hallmark sense of humor, Sartore will share notable endeavors from his portfolio of stunning photographs to showcase the incredible diversity of life on Earth while inspiring us to take action in protecting it. In his words, “It is folly to think that we can destroy one species and ecosystem after another and not affect humanity. When we save species, we’re actually saving ourselves.”
Former U.S. Representative, attorney, and author Liz Cheney will address The Richmond Forum in February. Cheney is at the fulcrum of our nation’s political divide. She will join The Forum to discuss policy, principled leadership, and the future of bipartisanship. Displaying courage, discipline, and integrity in the wake of a national crisis, Cheney’s actions during her last term in Congress laid bare her commitment to country and democracy over politics—and they pose new questions about the future of the American two-party system. How can we encourage more politicians to work across the aisle? Where is the Republican party headed next? Cheney will tell the stories of how she arrived at her personal convictions, her remarkable career in Congress, and the road that lies ahead.
In March–on the fourth anniversary of the COVID-19 quarantine shutdowns–The Forum will welcome Dr. Anthony Fauci to Richmond. Dr. Fauci may have become a household name in 2020, but his commitment to public health and biomedical research has spanned a lifetime. In a conversation about his decades-long career, Dr. Fauci will share stories from his early years as a medical student through the challenges and successes he faced while leading the nation through two of the most significant global health crises in modern history. Dr. Fauci’s passion for science and his unwavering dedication to improving human health will be on full display while he reflects on his experiences on the frontlines of the HIV/AIDS epidemic and while navigating the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic.
The Supreme Court is emerging as one of the most dynamic and consequential institutions of our time. With a pivotal year ahead, The Forum will close out the 2023 – 2024 season with a lively and nuanced conversation with journalists Nina Totenberg and Kimberley Strassel about the changing nature of the court and the potential impact of the most highly anticipated cases on the court’s 2024 docket. Totenberg is a veteran legal affairs correspondent and is considered one of NPR’s “founding mothers.” Strassel is an author and opinion columnist for The Wall Street Journal. This discussion between two women with divergent views will be a testament to the power of civil discourse and the value of engaging with different perspectives.
“If you are not a 2022-2023 subscriber, an online subscription will be your ticket into the theater for this truly impressive season,” Heather Crislip, executive director of The Richmond Forum, said. “Seats in the Altria Theater are likely to sell out to current theater and online subscribers, but new online subscribers will have the exclusive ability to upgrade to theater tickets on a program-by-program basis. We no longer have a lottery or waitlist.”
“Once you are an online subscriber, you’ll be first in line for season subscriptions at the theater for future seasons,” Crislip explained. “Online subscriptions are on sale now at the price of $130 at www.richmondforum.org.”
Current subscribers have until May 28 to renew their subscriptions for next season. Those interested in attending this season at The Forum can do so by purchasing an online subscription. Online subscribers are able to watch all five 2023-2024 season programs from anywhere in the world and can upgrade to seats in the Altria Theater on a program-by-program basis. Learn more about becoming a season subscriber.
