This special event opens with a private screening of Once Upon a Time in Harlem, a remarkable documentary built from long-unseen footage filmed in 1972 by pioneering filmmaker William Greaves. Shot during an extraordinary gathering at Duke Ellington’s Harlem townhouse, the film captures a once-in-a-lifetime conversation among the surviving luminaries of the Harlem Renaissance—artists, writers, musicians, and thinkers reflecting on a movement that reshaped American culture. Left unfinished for decades, the film has been brought to completion by Greaves’s son, David, who was present behind the camera in 1972, and produced by Liani Greaves, continuing a multi-generational effort to preserve and share this extraordinary record. What emerges is more than a historical document; it is a living conversation—one that blends memory, debate, and reflection on the meaning and legacy of Black artistic and intellectual life in America. Following the screening, David and Liani Greaves will be present to reflect on the making of the film, its long journey to completion, and the responsibility of carrying forward this history. Together, they consider what the Harlem Renaissance—and the voices gathered in that room—can still teach us about identity, creativity, and the ongoing work of shaping a more complete and honest understanding of the American story.

American music carries a rich and complex history, one that is often incomplete, misattributed, or only partially told. In this conversation, Giddens reflects on her work to recover and reinterpret the cultural roots of American music, illuminating stories long overlooked and asking what it means to get that history right. Together, Giddens and Silver explore the relationship between artist and institution, how work is supported, shaped, and shared, and what responsibility both have in telling a more accurate and inclusive story. They consider not only who appears on stage, but how performance itself can evolve, moving beyond passive consumption toward experiences that invite participation, connection, and transformation. Drawing on examples from Silkroad and Lincoln Center, they examine how artists and institutions create the conditions for meaningful cultural exchange through space, design, and the resources that make such work possible, including the opportunities and constraints that come with them. At a moment that calls for both urgency and imagination, they reflect on what it means for artists to carry us forward, and how this work of telling fuller, more honest stories can help shape a more inclusive culture and society.

Join us for drinks & hors d'oeuvres in the Geier Oval, outside the Davis Center for Human Ecology.

Join us for coffee and tea in the event tent prior to the morning session.

What role does the United States play in the world today—and how is that role changing? Nicholas Kristof and Samantha Power draw on their experience in journalism and public service to examine the evolving nature of American leadership on the global stage. They reflect on the tensions that have long shaped US foreign policy: the balance between power and principle, the gap between ideals and actions, and the challenges of sustaining a coherent approach across changing administrations. Kristof brings a journalist’s perspective on accountability and the importance of bearing witness, while Power draws on her experience in diplomacy to consider the possibilities and limits of international alliances and institutions. In conversation with Phil Lader, they explore whether the current moment signals a shift to a new global era, what that era might demand, and how the United States might navigate it. At stake is not only how America is perceived abroad, but what it means to act as a force for stability, partnership, and shared purpose in an increasingly complex world.

As the United States approaches its 250th anniversary, Ken Burns and Jeffrey Rosen reflect on the stories that have shaped the nation’s past and continue to define its present. Drawing on Burns’ latest documentary, The American Revolution, as well as his broader body of work, they explore how pivotal moments in American history—from the founding era to more recent chapters—have revealed the country’s enduring tensions, aspirations, and contradictions.

Together, they consider what these stories can teach us about who we are and how we have changed, as well as what they ask of us now. Looking across a wide spectrum of American life, from politics and war to culture, landscape, and identity, they reflect on the values and challenges that have persisted over time. At a moment of reflection and possibility, they explore how a deeper understanding of the past can help shape the next chapter of the American story.

Join us for drinks & hors d'oeuvres in the Geier Oval, outside the Davis Center for Human Ecology.

Join us for coffee and tea in the event tent prior to the morning session.

Robin Wall Kimmerer, author of Braiding Sweetgrass, has inspired millions through her integration of Indigenous knowledge and ecological science. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson, marine biologist, climate policy expert, and author of What If We Get It Right? has emerged as a leading voice shaping the modern climate movement. Together they explore how science, community engagement, and storytelling can help reshape society’s relationship with the living world—and how principles such as reciprocity, stewardship, and collective action can guide a more sustainable future.  

Few writers have done more to document the scale and complexity of environmental change than Elizabeth Kolbert. Through her reporting and books, including The Sixth Extinction, she has chronicled the forces reshaping the natural world and the consequences of human activity across ecosystems.

In conversation with Kourtney Collum, whose work explores the intersections of food systems, power, justice, and sustainability, Kolbert reflects on what it means to bear witness to these changes over time, and how scientific understanding, storytelling, and public awareness intersect in shaping our response. Together, they consider not only the scope of the challenges we face, but the choices—individual, institutional, and collective—that will determine how we respond.

Grounded in both evidence and lived systems, they examine what it means to act in a moment defined by uncertainty, urgency, and responsibility, and how a clearer understanding of the planet we inhabit can inform the choices we make in response.

Stacey Abrams has spent her career working to expand participation in American democracy—from her leadership in the Georgia House of Representatives to her historic campaign for governor, and through her ongoing efforts to strengthen civic engagement nationwide. Alongside her sister, Jeanine Abrams McLean, she has helped build organizations like Fair Count to ensure that communities historically left out of the democratic process are seen, heard, and fully counted. Drawing on her background as a researcher, Abrams McLean has played a central role in shaping Fair Count’s data-driven approach, helping to identify undercounted communities and translate complex demographic insights into practical strategies for outreach and engagement. In conversation with Frances Stead Sellers, Abrams and McLean reflect on what it takes to move from participation to power, and how sustained, on-the-ground work can lead to lasting change in who is represented and how decisions are made. They also discuss Abrams’s recent 10 Steps initiative, which offers a framework for understanding and responding to the forces that threaten democratic institutions. Together, they consider how a more complete and accurate picture of who we are can help build a stronger, more representative democracy.

Join us for drinks & hors d'oeuvres in the Geier Oval, outside the Davis Center for Human Ecology.

Join us for coffee and tea in the event tent prior to the morning session.

Longtime friend of the Summer Institute, Jeffrey Rosen, returns this year to offer a talk on his new book, The Pursuit of Liberty. Exploring the enduring tension between Jeffersonian and Hamiltonian visions of American democracy, Rosen considers how competing ideas about national power, democracy, the constitution, and the role of government have shaped the nation’s history.

Looking back across the founding era to today, he offers insights into how these two visions have influenced the development of American political life for the past 250 years. He also looks ahead, considering how this dynamic may continue to evolve and what it might mean for the future of the American experiment.

What does a background in service bring to political leadership—and to citizenship more broadly? Emily Cherniack draws on her work building New Politics and her experience in political organizing to explore how military and civilian service—from the armed forces to the Peace Corps—can shape more effective and grounded leaders. She reflects on why service has long been a pathway into public life, what it offers in today’s political environment, and how more candidates with this experience can be encouraged to step forward. More broadly, the conversation considers how a culture of service can deepen civic engagement and strengthen the habits of citizenship on which democracy depends. At a moment that calls for renewed trust in institutions and one another, it explores the role service-based leadership can play in moving us toward a more resilient and connected society.

The institutions that once defined the Fourth Estate are undergoing rapid change. As technology reshapes how information is produced, distributed, and consumed, questions of trust, accountability, and influence have become more urgent and more complex. Drawing on her work as host of the podcasts On with Kara Swisher and Pivot, Swisher reflects on how journalism and media are evolving in an era defined by digital platforms, fractured audiences, and the rise of artificial intelligence. In conversation with Thompson, she considers what has been lost, what has been gained, and how the role of the press is being redefined in real time. Together, they explore what these changes mean for democratic life, asking how a more open and decentralized media environment can still support shared understanding, informed participation, and meaningful accountability.

Join us for drinks & hors d'oeuvres in the Geier Oval, outside the Davis Center for Human Ecology.

Join us for coffee and tea in the event tent prior to the morning session.

As two of the most incisive cultural critics writing today, Tolentino and Scott have spent their careers examining how Americans make meaning through media, art, technology, and everyday life. In a moment when culture can feel fragmented, contested, and constantly shifting, they explore the idea that this disorder may be less a problem to solve than a condition to understand.

Together, they consider whether a shared cultural center ever truly existed, and what might be gained, as well as lost, in its absence. Rather than seeking tidy narratives, they embrace the friction, contradiction, and multiplicity that shape American culture. They also look ahead, asking how these forces might continue to evolve, what new forms of cultural expression may emerge, and what kind of shared understanding, if any, might still be possible.

During his NBA career, Enes Kanter Freedom became one of the most outspoken advocates for human rights in professional sports, speaking out against authoritarian regimes and abuses in countries from Turkey to China. His activism ultimately came at significant personal and professional cost, a story he recounts in his book, In the Name of Freedom: A Political Dissident’s Fight for Human Rights in the NBA and Around the World. In conversation with Thompson, journalist, author of The Running Ground, and accomplished endurance athlete, Freedom reflects on the responsibilities of public figures to speak out on matters of principle. Together, they explore how individuals, both prominent and ordinary, can act on their values even when the systems around them resist change. They also consider what it takes to sustain that commitment over time, and how acts of courage—on and off the court—can help strengthen the foundations of a more just and free society.

What is philanthropy uniquely positioned to do that no other part of society can? In this conversation, Palfrey and Collins explore that question at a moment of profound change, reflecting on the evolving role of philanthropy in American life, what this moment asks of its leaders, and how the philanthropic community can help shape what comes next. They consider how established institutions and emerging initiatives can learn from one another, collaborate, and play complementary roles, while also examining how private giving intersects with public responsibility. As new challenges emerge—from artificial intelligence to climate change to the resilience of democratic institutions—they reflect on the growing importance of partnership across foundations, communities, institutions of higher education, and the public sector. Drawing on examples that span national initiatives and local efforts, including the role of community foundations, they discuss how philanthropy can act not only as a source of support, but as a catalyst for a more connected, informed, and resilient society.

Join us for drinks & hors d'oeuvres in the Geier Oval, outside the Davis Center for Human Ecology.