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Democracy in the Public Space

Join the School of Behavioral & Social Sciences and our partners for our lecture series: Democracy in the Public Space. In this series, faculty and local community leaders will discuss various topics related to civic engagement and how we all can make our voices count. 

Mission Statement

The School of Behavioral & Social Sciences’ Democracy in the Public Space is dedicated to fostering a vibrant community dialogue on the principles of democracy, civic responsibility, and community involvement. Through an engaging series of lectures, discussions, and an educational poster campaign, we aim to inspire active participation in the political process, to address societal challenges, and to cultivate a culture of informed and engaged citizenship.

Contact
Professor Hans Hauselmann
Professor - History
Democracy in the Public Space
Spring 2026 Lecture Series
Redrawing Freedom
 
The School of Behavioral and Social Sciences’ Democracy in the Public Space returns in Spring 2026 with a timely and provocative theme: Redrawing Freedom.
 
Building on previous series exploring separation of powers, immigration and citizenship, voting rights and gerrymandering, and the legacy of the Fourteenth Amendment, this semester turns directly to the present moment—asking how freedom is being interpreted, defended, and challenged today.
Through lectures, performances, and panel discussions, Redrawing Freedom brings together historians, legal scholars, artists, economists, students, and public leaders to examine free speech, capitalism, due process, equal protection, academic freedom, and racial justice.
Who gets to define freedom—and at what cost?
Spring 2026 Schedule
March 3 Speaking Against Silence
Emily P. Lawsin, Filipina Spoken-Word, Asian American Historian
Tuesday, 12:00 PM | Mary Stuart Rogers (MSR) | MJC West
 
In collaboration with the Ethnic Studies Speaker Series
What happens when personal memory becomes public history?
Emily P. Lawsin blends spoken-word poetry with oral history to explore Filipino American life, resistance, and belonging—demonstrating how breaking silence reshapes history and redefines freedom.
March 10 Free Speech & Power
Speaker from Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE)
Tuesday, 2:30 PM | Forum 110 | MJC East
 
What does free speech mean today—and who decides its limits?
This lecture examines the current landscape of First Amendment rights and the tensions between expression, protest, inclusion, and institutional authority in a polarized era.
March 18 Capitalism or Freedom?
Trevor Jackson, Economic Historian, UC Berkeley
Wednesday, 2:30 PM | Forum 110 | MJC East
 
Is capitalism freedom—or a system that dictates what we must choose simply to survive?
Trevor Jackson explores how markets have promised liberty while often producing new forms of pressure and compulsion, challenging familiar assumptions about democracy and economic growth.
March 26 Due Process & Equality
Rachel Van Cleave, Visiting Professor Of Law, University Of The Pacific
Thursday, 11:30 AM | Forum 110 | MJC East
 
The Fourteenth Amendment promised equal protection and due process—but those promises have always been contested. This lecture examines how those constitutional principles are interpreted today.
April 1 Academic Freedom
Student, Faculty And Community Panel
Wednesday, 11:30 AM | Forum 110 | MJC East
 
Who controls what can be taught, researched, and debated? This panel explores the growing debate over academic freedom and political pressure on public education.
April 16 Exclusion & Belonging
Dr. Scott Kurashige, Asian American Historian
Thursday, 12:00 PM | Sierra Hall B137 | MJC West
This event will be live-streamed in FORUM 110.
 
In collaboration with the Ethnic Studies Speaker Series
Dr. Scott Kurashige examines the long history of anti-Asian racism—from exclusion laws to contemporary violence—and how Asian American communities have fought to redefine freedom, belonging, and citizenship.
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