While polarization may seem like the hallmark of American politics, a global pandemic in the midst of the 2020 presidential election and a reckoning over race has only deepened the political divide. So, what’s next regarding this political division? How can we achieve a sense of unity and what does it mean if we don’t? Join political analyst Amy Walter (The Cook Political Report), political scientist Valerie C. Johnson (DePaul University), presidential expert Barbara A. Perry (University of Virginia), and political columnist Mona Charen (The Bulwark) for a panel discussion about political polarization and the roadmap to reunification.
This program is free to all with registration. Registered guests will receive details on how to access the event via email.- The conversation will premiere live on YouTube on April 21st at 7pm central time.
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- This event will be livestreamed with a live Q+A.
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- Please register to receive a link to the digital event - https://www.chicagohumanities.org/events/political-division/.
This program is generously underwritten by Rebecca McDade.
Valerie C. Johnson
Dr. Valerie C. Johnson received her Ph.D. from the University of Maryland, College Park, and is associate professor of political science at DePaul University in Chicago. She is the author of Black Power in the Suburbs: The Myth or Reality of African American Suburban Political Incorporation) (2002), and co-editor of Power in the City (2008). Her current book project is entitled, At the Water’s Edge: The Unfinished Business of Black Equality. Her research and teaching interests include African American politics, urban politics, and education policy. Dr. Johnson is the former national education spokesperson for Reverend Jesse L. Jackson, Sr. and the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition, and has served as a consultant for elected officials and community organizations nationwide. She also served as chair of the State of Black Chicago Congress (SBCC), an organization dedicated to mobilizing all segments of the community of African descent in Chicago to tackle problems in a myriad of areas, including education, joblessness, and crime and violence.
Barbara A. Perry
Barbara A. Perry is the Gerald L. Baliles Professor and Director of Presidential Studies at the University of Virginia's Miller Center, where she co-directs the Presidential Oral History Program. She has authored or edited 16 books on presidents, First Ladies, the Kennedy family, the Supreme Court, and civil rights and civil liberties. She served as a U.S. Supreme Court fellow and has worked for both Republican and Democratic members of the Senate. Professor Perry has been a commentator for such outlets as CBS, PBS, CNN, C-SPAN, MSNBC, NPR, PRI, Fox News, and the BBC, among others.
Amy Walter
Amy Walter is the National Editor of The Cook Political Report, where she provides analysis of the issues, trends and events that shape the political environment. Her weekly column appears on cookpolitical.com. She is also the host of WNYC's Politics with Amy Walter on The Takeaway, and a regular contributor to the PBS NewsHour, where she offers her perspective weekly on "Politics Monday." Walter was named one of DC's "50 Top Journalists" by Washingtonian Magazine in 2009. She is the former political director of ABC News. She is also a regular panelist on NBC’s Meet the Press, Fox News’ Special Report with Bret Baier and CBS' Face the Nation. Amy was an inaugural fellow at the Institute of Politics at the University of Chicago, where she now serves on the IOP Board of Advisors.
Mona Charen
Mona Charen, a syndicated columnist and author, is Policy Editor at The Bulwark and host of the weekly podcast Beg to Differ. Charen began her career at National Review magazine where she served as editorial assistant. Charen served as Nancy Reagan’s speechwriter and later as Associate Director of the Office of Public Liaison. Later in her White House career, she worked in the Public Affairs office helping to craft President Reagan’s communications strategy. In 1986, Charen joined the presidential campaign of then-Congressman Jack Kemp. Charen launched her syndicated column in 1987. It is featured in more than 60 newspapers and websites. She spent 6 years as a regular commentator on CNN’s Capital Gang and Capital Gang Sunday, and has served as a judge of the Pulitzer Prizes. She is the author of two bestsellers: Useful Idiots (2003); and Do-Gooders (2005). Her latest book, Sex Matters, was published in 2018. In 2010, she received the Eric Breindel Award for Excellence in Opinion Journalism.