The Forum

UMKC political science professor Dr. Max Skidmore discusses the anti-abortion movement, the distortion of the term “pro life,” the rampant campaign to use the power of government to force women to carry unwanted pregnancies to term and the recent attempt to embed dogma in the Kansas state constitution.

Anne Calvert and Janet Milkovich, presidents of the nonpartisan Leagues of Women Voters of Kansas City, Jackson, Clay, and Platte Counties in Missouri, and Johnson County in Kansas, describe how their leagues are fighting voter suppression and protecting the right to vote against voter suppression legislation.

Dana Ortiz, Executive Director of Family Promise of Lawrence, introduces us to this national organization whose mission is “Empowering families in a housing crisis to achieve stabilization through community connections.”

Marci Francisco, Kansas State Senator and UUCL member, offers a recapitulation of the August 2nd primary election and a preview of the November 8th midterms.

Louise Hanson, local librarian, activist, and collector of Kansas cookbooks (>500) recognized that food helps Kansas settlers maintain connections with their diverse countries of origin.  Her presentation, “Tasting the Past: Exploring Kansas Food Memories,” was featured by Humanities Kansas.

Knowledge about the Red Planet has increased dramatically in recent years, thanks to many sophisticated probes from NASA and other nations. Tom Cravens, member of KU’s Space Physics group, will bring us up to date on the “Evolution of the Atmosphere of Mars.”

Jeff Nichols, leader of the meditation group at the Unitarian Universalists Congregation of Lawrence for the past 8 years, will discuss the science and spirituality of meditation.   Recorded at the Unitarian Universalists Congregation of Lawrence, KS on July 10, 2022.

Dr. Jennifer Schrimsher, Douglas County Health Officer and infectious disease specialist at Lawrence Internal Medicine, has said, relative to the COVID pandemic, “We could probably spend an entire day talking about the lessons of this past year.” She will condense this knowledge less than an hour to help educate us about COVID-19.

Christina Haswood represents the 10th District, which includes Baldwin City and southeastern Lawrence, in the Kansas House. She is Native American, a graduate of Haskell INU and Arizona State, who earned a master’s in public health from KU Med Center in 2020.  She will discuss progress in establishing the Indigenous Community Center, whose mission is […]

Carol Curt Enos discusses the discovery of a missing copy of Shakespeare’s “First Folio,” and its implications concerning the mysteries surrounding the life of the Bard of Avon. This presentation was recorded at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Lawrence, KS, on April 24, 2022 — one day after Shakespeare’s 458th birthday.

 The Forum is on its summer hiatus, so, in its stead we present a recent presentation by Dr. Kathy Rose-Mockry, past Director of KU’s Emily Taylor Center for Women and Gender Equity. She has had a career devoted to advocacy for a wide range of areas, including gender equity, mentoring, resilience, women in STEMM, disability […]

Dr. Barbara Schowen will present her paper, “The Colonial Legacy: How the Culture of the Early Colonies is Still With Us.” She examines the origins and characteristics of the Virginia, Massachusetts, New Amsterdam, and South Carolina colonies and how these characteristics are still evident many centuries later in the Tidewater, Yankeedom, New Netherland, Deep South, […]

An amendment to the Kansas Constitution on the ballot for the August primary would explicitly end abortion as a constitutional right. Dr. Melinda Lavon, owner of Bloom Midwifery in Lawrence, will examine the implications of this vote. (Note: this presentation was recorded May 29, 2022, prior to the announcement of the Supreme Court decision to […]

While the All Souls Forum is on Summer Hiatus, this alternative from Morning Headlines is presented. Marcy Wheeler is an independent journalist writing about national security and civil liberties at emptywheel.net. Michael German is a Brennan Center for Justice fellow with their Liberty and National Security Program and former special agent with the Federal Bureau […]

Major media everywhere shape our understanding of everything including crime.  Spencer Graves describes this.  In the early 1800s the US had more newspapers per capita than any other place or time. Today we face major problems with political polarization. Graves discusses research and recommendations by Robert McChesney for improving this. This is an update and expansion of […]

Zack Pistora of the Kansas Chapter, Billy Davis of the Missouri Chapter, and Ty Gorman of the Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal Campaign will discuss the status of utility scale and roof-top solar power generation in Kansas and Missouri, along with the need for home energy efficiency and how we can support healthy communities and a […]

The newly reopened Kansas City Museum took on the mission of giving the City a portrait of its past. Museum Collections Director Denise Morrison describes their process of figuring out whose stories get told. (Recorded 5/15/2022)

The mother and aunt of 26-year-old Matthew Bland-Williams bargained with God as they drove to the emergency room. He was dying – a victim of Kansas City’s gun violence. But Pamela Bland and Arletha Bland-Manlove descended into a system that offers families of victims no answers, no help, no peace. (Recorded 5/8/22)

Why does our society have so much difficulty dealing with effeminate men? Why is it that some people, including some in the LGBTQ community have problems dealing with “sissies?” Are there connections between this “sissyphobia” and misogyny? These questions and more will be explored by All Souls’ own Richard Thompson. (Recorded 4/24/2022)

What does it take to actively work against inequities historically perpetuated by education? See how one Kansas City public charter school addresses the whole child with joy while teaching to deep levels, equitably for all children. Join in with Tricia DeGraff, executive director of the Academy for Integrated Arts. (Recorded 4/10/2022)

Storytelling is as old as human culture and has many uses and impacts, including teaching morality, providing entertainment, and building empathy. National Storytelling Network member Gary Kuntz will discuss the various ways storytelling is used, as well as storytelling activities and groups that you can get involved in. (Recorded 4/03/2022)

Marty Kraft sits on KC’s Environmental Management Commission. Stan Slaughter is Director of Education for Missouri Organic Recycling. They will discuss how to scale up local use of soil-regenerating inoculants through community involvement, educational workshops & grassroots movements. They will also comment on the important spiritual dimension of our needed cultural change.

A community’s ability to resettle refugees is a critical benchmark of a city primed for growth. Local agencies are working to ensure refugees don’t just arrive, but thrive. Join Cori Wallace, Engagement Director at Della Lamb Community Services, to hear the stories of resettling Afghan families in Kansas City.

Kelsey Ryan, the founder and publisher of The Beacon in Kansas City and Wichita, speaks from the frontlines of non-profit journalism, with a view of the imperiled state of local, in-depth news coverage and a look at what it takes for start-up newsrooms to survive and thrive.

Aaron Deacon, Managing Director of KC Digital Drive, explores the digital future of Kansas City in the critical pursuit of equitable access, the promise in economic opportunities and the fascinating potential of next-generation innovation in a truly Smart City.