Critical Conversations @Soka
Critical Conversations @Soka features artists, instigators, authors, and thought-leaders who ignite conversations, connect community, and draw attention to pressing local and global issues. We hope these conversations will extend from our stage to living rooms, classrooms, and boardrooms throughout our communities.
Highlights
Anna Deavere Smith on the School to Prison Pipeline
Bryan Stevenson: Race, Justice, and Mercy—Can They Co-exist in America?
Outrageous Acts of Peace with Nobel Laureate Leymah Gbowee
Queer Eye Your Life with Karamo Brown
An evening with Henry Rollins
Past events
The Daisaku and Kaneko Ikeda Library builds a resource guide for each Critical Conversation event.
- Amy Goodman: Democracy Now! Covering the Movements Changing America
- Leymah Gbowee & Karima Bennoune: "Outrageous Acts of Peace"
- Anna Deavere Smith: School to Prison Pipeline
- Brian Greene and G. Gabrielle Starr: The Creative Spark
- Bryan Stevenson: Race, Justice and Mercy
- Kay Redfield Jamison & Alison Malmon: Suicide - A conversation
- Vandana Shiva: The Future of the Planet
- Erin Gruwell & The Freedom Writers: The Courage to Connect
- An evening with Henry Rollins
- Karamo Brown: Queer Eye Your Life
- Moby: Vegan Meat-Up - A Safe Space for the Curious Carnivore
- Rana Foroohar: Reimagining Education & the Economy
- Richard Stengel: Journalism Under Fire
- Simon Mainwaring: Lead With We
- Alex Budak: Changemakers
- Critical Conversations @Soka: AI & The Future of Education and Work
Grants for Student and Community Groups
To make the event more accessible to high school students, Soka University offers free tickets and grant funding to reimburse transportation costs to organized high school or community groups of 15 or more who pre-register, while supplies last.
Pre-Event Dining
Interested in dining before the event. The Soka Bistro is available.
Questions?
Previous Critical Conversations
Dec 11, 2024
7 Min Read
AI Might Come for Your Job — But Human Skills Could Save Your Career
As AI continues to permeate the technology we use on a daily basis, urgent questions arise about our collective future. Which jobs — or even entire fields — will become obsolete? How can students deve...
Read More
Apr 4, 2022
4 Min Read
The Renaissance Begins: A Critical Conversation with Simon Mainwaring
To anyone feeling hopeless about the many crises facing humanity, brand futurist and author Simon Mainwaring believes that taking intentional, collective action is the antidote. In “Rewiring Capitalis...
Read More
Feb 28, 2018
2 Min Read
Activist, Author Bryan Stevenson on Building a More Just, Merciful World
Inspiring social justice attorney, activist, and author Bryan Stevenson ignited passions to an audience of 900 during the Critical Conversations @ Soka event at the Performing Arts Center this month.
...
Read More
Feb 21, 2020
4 Min Read
Karamo Brown in Critical Conversations @Soka
Karamo Brown, three-time Emmy winner and culture expert on the Netflix reboot of Queer Eye, spoke at the Critical Conversations @Soka event on Feb. 19. The Critical Conversations series aims to ignite...
Read More
Dec 11, 2024
7 Min Read
AI Might Come for Your Job — But Human Skills Could Save Your Career
As AI continues to permeate the technology we use on a daily basis, urgent questions arise about our collective future. Which jobs — or even entire fields — will become obsolete? How can students deve...
Read More
Apr 4, 2022
4 Min Read
The Renaissance Begins: A Critical Conversation with Simon Mainwaring
To anyone feeling hopeless about the many crises facing humanity, brand futurist and author Simon Mainwaring believes that taking intentional, collective action is the antidote. In “Rewiring Capitalis...
Read More
Feb 28, 2018
2 Min Read
Activist, Author Bryan Stevenson on Building a More Just, Merciful World
Inspiring social justice attorney, activist, and author Bryan Stevenson ignited passions to an audience of 900 during the Critical Conversations @ Soka event at the Performing Arts Center this month.
...
Read More
Feb 21, 2020
4 Min Read
Karamo Brown in Critical Conversations @Soka
Karamo Brown, three-time Emmy winner and culture expert on the Netflix reboot of Queer Eye, spoke at the Critical Conversations @Soka event on Feb. 19. The Critical Conversations series aims to ignite...
Read More