Alexander is a faith-driven young man who has dedicated his life to motivating and inspiring others. His drive and determination helped him become a college football player when many believed...

Dark money. The name itself carries ominous undertones, undertones that critics of this relatively new campaign-finance phenomenon of hidden contributions claim to reflect a genuine threat to democracy. Its defenders argue that the dark money approach to funding political campaigns is merely an extension of Americans’ basic right to free speech. In this Constitution Day...

This Palestinian author and artist will discuss her biographical and autobiographical comics and the way she has used the comic form to make Palestinian issues accessible to a broad range of audiences. She will also discuss the political importance of storytelling in marginalized communities, and the power of self-publishing and zine-making as a tool for...

Please join Dr. Neal Barnard, president of The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, as he discusses the science behind what you eat. Learn how food can help you tackle cholesterol, weight problems, diabetes, and heart disease and even improve brain function. Dr. Barnard will discuss the benefits of a plant-based diet along with offering practical guidance on...

Factfulness is the stress-reducing habit of only carrying opinions for which you have strong supporting facts. In this interactive conversation presented with Rockford’s Connect2Peace organization, you’ll hear 10 instincts that distort our understanding of the world and how the thinking habit of factfulness can help. You’ll also learn about Dollar Street, an innovative data visualization program...

Rockford alumna Ellen Gates Starr (1859-1940) may be one of America’s most important under-studied figures of the early 20th Century. Side by side with her lifelong friend, alumna and Nobel Laureate, Jane Addams (1860-1935), she co-founded Chicago’s famous Hull-House. Part of this story is her role as an articulate conveyor of ideas, both directions, between...

Freelon is a captivating speaker and performer, whose presentations about race, politics, technology and culture leave audiences entertained and enlightened. He will provide an in-depth look at race as a cultural construct, in this multimedia presentation that grapples with the question of a post-racial America, and explores the redemptive, healing and emancipatory power of music...