The 2020 election “map daddy” and #chartthrob Steve Kornacki joins the Starr Center this week for a conversation on political tribalism and more. Jointly presented by Washington College’s Starr Center and the Rose O’Neil Literary House, the event is scheduled for 5 PM on April 1.

Kornacki will talk about the 1990’s historical roots of our present-day politics from his book The Red and the Blue, as well as how our current tribalism mentality came to be. In addition to gaining fame recently as NBC’s electoral map guru who barely took a break during election night coverage, Kornacki’s articles have appeared in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Boston Globe, and Daily Beast, among others.

Kornacki’s marathon election coverage and his sensible khakis both earned national attention, as he famously stayed awake for 45 straight hours (fueled by Diet Coke), always appearing in his signature outfit. He was recently named to People’s Sexiest Man Alive list.

To join the discussion with Steve Kornacki, register here.  Registration is free and open to the public.

This event is part of the Harwood Lecture Series on American Journalism.

Thursdays with the Starr Center Series

Washington College’s Starr Center for the Study of the American Experience has launched this new series of free virtual events every Thursday, bringing best-selling authors, respected journalists, renowned scholars, talented performers, and a variety of other guests to a wide audience during Washington College’s spring semester.

“Thursdays with the Starr Center” is eclectic, conversational, and informal. Events will occur Thursdays at 5 p.m., unless otherwise noted. In addition to original events, the series will also feature the events of campus partners like the Black Studies Program at Washington College.

“These weekly events will capture the energy and diversity of the Washington College community,” said Goodheart. “You can come join a lively discussion on history and politics — or just quietly eavesdrop while you’re starting to fix dinner. We hope you’ll return for a regular date with us each Thursday.”

For more information about the “Thursdays with the Starr Center” event series and upcoming events, including registration and access, please visit https://www.washcoll.edu/learn-by-doing/starr/news_and_events.php.

About the Starr Center

Washington College’s Starr Center for the Study of the American Experience explores the American experience in all its diversity and complexity, seeks creative approaches to illuminating the past, and inspires thoughtful conversation informed by history. Through educational programs, scholarship and public outreach, and a special focus on written history, the Starr Center seeks to bridge the divide between the academic world and the public at large.

About Washington College

Founded in 1782, Washington College is the tenth oldest college in the nation and the first chartered under the new Republic. It enrolls approximately 1,450 undergraduates from more than 35 states and a dozen nations. With an emphasis on hands-on, experiential learning in the arts and sciences, and more than 40 multidisciplinary areas of study, the College is home to nationally recognized academic centers in the environment, history, and writing. Learn more at washcoll.edu.

Acclaimed documentarian Stanley Nelson is joining a virtual discussion about Freedom Riders, his 2010 documentary about the hundreds of civil rights activists who challenged segregation in interstate transport in the American South during the spring and summer of 1961.

Nelson’s documentary earned three Primetime Emmy Awards — among other honors — and is available to be screened virtually prior to the 7 PM start to the discussion and Q&A. This year marks the 60^th anniversary of this bold and dangerous experiment by both Black and white Americans.

To join the discussion with Stanley Nelson, register here.  Registration is free and open to the public.  To watch Freedom Riders, click here.

Stanley Nelson is today’s leading documentarian of the African American experience. His films combine compelling narratives with rich historical detail to shine new light on the under-explored American past.

In a rave review of “Freedom Riders” from 2011, The New York Times said, “It is hard to imagine a feature film conveying the events with a more vivid sense of drama or suspense. The commentators — the riders themselves, historians, politicians, civil rights leaders — have mostly been chosen for an uncanny ability to convey the tension in a present-tense reconstruction. Blowhards and professors of the obvious have been excised, and the archival photographs and news clips have been edited down to those most affecting and lyrical.”

Thursdays with the Starr Center Series

Washington College’s Starr Center for the Study of the American Experience has launched this new series of free virtual events every Thursday, bringing best-selling authors, respected journalists, renowned scholars, talented performers, and a variety of other guests to a wide audience during Washington College’s spring semester.

“Thursdays with the Starr Center” is eclectic, conversational, and informal. Events will occur Thursdays at 5 p.m., unless otherwise noted. In addition to original events, the series will also feature the events of campus partners like the Black Studies Program at Washington College.

“These weekly events will capture the energy and diversity of the Washington College community,” said Goodheart. “You can come join a lively discussion on history and politics — or just quietly eavesdrop while you’re starting to fix dinner. We hope you’ll return for a regular date with us each Thursday.”

Upcoming Events:

April 1 brings political author, journalist, television host, and 2020 election sensation Steve Kornacki virtually to the Starr Center. Kornacki will talk about the 1990’s historical roots of our present-day politics from his book The Red and the Blue, as well as how our current tribalism mentality came to be. In addition to gaining fame recently as NBC’s electoral map guru who barely took a break during election night coverage, Kornacki’s articles have appeared in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Boston Globe, and Daily Beast, among others.

For more information about the “Thursdays with the Starr Center” event series, including registration and access, please visit https://www.washcoll.edu/learn-by-doing/starr.

About the Starr Center

Washington College’s Starr Center for the Study of the American Experience explores the American experience in all its diversity and complexity, seeks creative approaches to illuminating the past, and inspires thoughtful conversation informed by history. Through educational programs, scholarship and public outreach, and a special focus on written history, the Starr Center seeks to bridge the divide between the academic world and the public at large.

About Washington College

Founded in 1782, Washington College is the tenth oldest college in the nation and the first chartered under the new Republic. It enrolls approximately 1,450 undergraduates from more than 35 states and a dozen nations. With an emphasis on hands-on, experiential learning in the arts and sciences, and more than 40 multidisciplinary areas of study, the College is home to nationally recognized academic centers in the environment, history, and writing. Learn more at washcoll.edu.