Part of the CHA's Difficult Dialogues: Community Conversations series and Colorado Chautauqua's  series.

How do we have difficult conversations with people you care about, but may disagree with? Join us for an enlightening open discussion on how to have productive conversations about controversial subjects.

Explore how a sincere willingness to listen and learn, instead of approaching tough conversations with an argumentative and persuasive effort, can transform challenging conversations. Join facilitators Jennifer Ho and Ami Dayan on March 27th (Wednesday, 6pm - 7pm) to practice having hard conversations, including on the topic of Gaza and Israel.

Event Guidelines

The Difficult Dialogue series brings together local voices to explore complex topics, fostering mutual understanding and a respectful discourse. Difficult Dialogue events aim to create a space for grappling with tough subjects that people may find difficult or uncomfortable to talk about. These events are not debates but platforms for thoughtful exchange.

Our purpose is to hold dialogues on topics considered difficult, provocative, or controversial, among constituents that may have strong conflicting views. Our objective is NOT to necessarily agree, fix anything, prove anyone right or wrong, or alter anyone’s position.

We are committed to fostering productive dialogues in the hopes that minds and hearts might expand. We ask that you:

1. Keep an open mind
2. Be respectful of others
3. Listen with the intent to understand
4. Speak your own truth

We expect to experience discomfort when talking about hard things. Remain engaged and recognize that the discomfort can lead to problem-solving and authentic understanding. 

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A panel event to discuss various forms of reparations for historical harms.

• March 20, 2024
• 12:30pm - 1:45pm
• Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL), CASE E390

About the Event

How do we repair harm, when the harm is on a national scale? 

For the March 2024 Difficult Dialogue topic, we will consider how various nations have provided reparations for systemic harm and how we can hold nations, governments, and communities accountable for it. 

While the US government has made reparations to Japanese Americans incarcerated during World War II, there are still some groups that have not received any form of restitution, such as to enslaved people taken from African nations or to Indigenous nations for stolen land. Other countries have provided restitution for genocide, such as the German government and businesses to survivors of the Holocaust and the Rwandan government to Tutsi survivors of the 1994 genocide. Our panelists will discuss how we as individuals can encourage and support various types of reparations for harmed communities. For additional reading materials on these topics, visit the CU Libraries Resource Guide:

Questions our panelists will consider:

1. How do we hold nations, governments, and communities accountable for systemic harm?
2. How do individuals engage on this scale with governments to provide restitution to groups harmed? 
3. Closer to home, how do we at CU Boulder contend with land acknowledgments that address settler-colonialism when we are not giving back land?

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Part of the CHA's Difficult Dialogues: Community Conversations series and Colorado Chautauqua's  series.

For this second event in the series, the Center for Humanities & the Arts (CHA) and  are hosting a community conversation about the first amendment and freedom of speech. Are there boundaries to what speech can and should be shared publicly? Are there costs to free speech?

• February 28, 2024
• 6pm - 7pm
• Free, open to the public.
• Colorado Chautauqua's Community House - Rocky Mountain Climbers Club

Event Guidelines

The Difficult Dialogues series brings together local voices to explore complex topics, fostering a mutual understanding and a respectful discourse. Difficult Dialogues events aim to create a space for grappling with tough subjects that people may find difficult or uncomfortable to talk about. These events are not debates but platforms for thoughtful exchange.

Our purpose is to hold dialogues on topics considered difficult, provocative, or controversial, among constituents that may have strong conflicting views. Our objective is NOT to necessarily agree, fix anything, prove anyone right or wrong, or alter anyone’s position. 

We are committed to fostering productive dialogues in the hopes that minds and hearts might expand. We ask that you:

1. Keep an open mind 
2. Be respectful of others 
3. Listen with the intent to understand 
4. Speak your own truth

We expect to experience discomfort when talking about hard things. Remain engaged and recognize that the discomfort can lead to problem-solving and authentic understanding. 

Our co-facilitators for this evening will include:

Michele Moses, Professor and Vice Provost, CU Boulder

A well-known scholar in the areas of philosophy of education, policy, and ethics, Professor Michele Moses was recruited to CU Boulder in 2005 and was thrilled to return to CU after having received two graduate degrees here. A philosopher by training, Professor Moses has particular expertise in policy disagreements that involve race, ethnicity, gender, and sexuality; moral and political values; democracy and the public good; and equality of educational opportunity.

She has been serving as CU Boulder’s Vice Provost and Associate Vice Chancellor for Faculty Affairs since 2019, after serving as Associate Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs. Before that, as Associate Dean for Graduate Studies in the School of Education, Professor Moses founded CU Boulder’s Master’s in Higher Education Program. She has been a Fulbright New Century Scholar, was awarded CU Boulder’s Hazel Barnes Prize, and is a Fellow of the American Educational Research Association. Her work has appeared in the top journals in her field including the American Educational Research Journal, Educational Researcher, Harvard Educational Review, Journal of Higher Education, and Journal of Social Philosophy. In addition, Professor Moses is the author of Living with Moral Disagreement: The Enduring Controversy about Affirmative Action (University of Chicago Press, 2016), Embracing Race: Why We Need Race-Conscious Education Policy (Teachers College Press, 2002), and co-editor of Affirmative Action Matters: Creating Opportunities for Students around the World (Routledge, 2014).

In her role as Vice Provost, Professor Moses aims to help foster among faculty a sense of belonging and community on campus, so that faculty members feel supported, informed, and valued. She provides strategic direction for a variety of activities associated with faculty life and academic programming on the Boulder campus centered around four key areas: faculty development and support, faculty personnel actions, academic program review, and faculty data and impact. A first-generation college graduate, Professor Moses holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Virginia, an MEd in higher education and student affairs from the University of Vermont, and an MA in Philosophy and PhD in Educational Foundations and Policy from here at CU Boulder.

Patrick O’Rourke, COO & adjunct law professor, CU Boulder

Patrick O’Rourke is Executive Vice Chancellor and Chief Operating Officer at the University of Colorado Boulder. In this role, he is responsible for the operation of the Strategic »Æ¹ÏÊÓƵ and Support (SRS) team, which provides operational support for the campus in human resources, information technology, enrollment management, budget and finance, strategic communications, compliance and security, institutional equity and compliance, health and wellness services, and infrastructure and sustainability. SRS partners with the academic administration and faculty to support the university’s mission of teaching, research and service.

Previously, O’Rourke served as Vice President, University Counsel and Secretary of the CU Board of Regents from 2012 through 2020, where he was responsible for coordinating the university’s legal affairs and assisting the board in its governance role. Before serving in that role, he was responsible for overseeing the university’s litigation. He teaches as an adjunct faculty member at the University of Colorado School of Law and the Colorado School of Public Health on the Anschutz Medical Campus.

O’Rourke received his undergraduate degree from Creighton University and his law degree from The Georgetown University Law Center. He is active in the community and has served as a board member of the Denver School of Science and Technology, the Center for Legal Inclusiveness, and the Colorado Judicial Institute.

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Why Don’t You Think Like I Do? 
Navigating the spaces between us

THIS EVENT IS CURRENTLY SOLD OUT

Part of the CHA's Difficult Diaolgues: Community Conversations series and Colorado Chautauqua's  series

As we begin 2024, the Center for Humanities & the Arts (CHA) and are hosting a community conversation about how we form opinions, and what happens when we confront opposing views.

The brings together local voices to explore complex topics, fostering a mutual understanding and a respectful discourse. Difficult Dialogues events aim to create a space for grappling with tough subjects that people may find difficult or uncomfortable to talk about. These events are not debates but platforms for thoughtful exchange.

Our purpose is to hold dialogues on topics considered difficult, provocative, or controversial, among constituents that may have strong conflicting views. Our objective is NOT to necessarily agree, fix anything, prove anyone right or wrong, or alter anyone’s position. 

We are committed to fostering productive dialogues in the hopes that minds and hearts might expand. We ask that you:

1. Keep an open mind 
2. Be respectful of others 
3. Listen with the intent to understand 
4. Speak your own truth

We expect to experience discomfort when talking about hard things. Remain engaged and recognize that the discomfort can lead to problem-solving and authentic understanding. 

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Antisemitism and Being Jewish in the US

This panel discussion focused on the rise of antisemitism in the last decade—a rise that some might say has never disappeared and has resurfaced with events like the march on Charlottesville, the attack on the Tree of Life synagogue, and recent comments by celebrities. This event was part of the semi-annual Difficult Dialogues event — a series of panel conversations that bring together people from on and off campus to discuss challenging issues from their own perspectives.

It is hard to know how to talk about antisemitism, and this difficult dialogue engaged with multiple topics as well as what it means to be Jewish today, especially in a multi-religious and multi-racial space such as Boulder county. Among the questions our panelists pondered was is: “How does antisemitism manifest in our communities today?", "Are Jews white?", "How is antisemitism different from or similar to to other forms of racism, bias, exclusion, and discrimination?", "Is criticism of Israel antisemitic?"

Event Information

• Registration:
• Date: Wednesday, September 13, 2023
• Time: Doors Open: 6:30pm  |  Event Timeframe: 7pm - 8:30pm  
• Location: in-person at Grace Commons Church, Oerter Hall: 1820 15th Street, Boulder, CO 80302
• Flyer Download: www.colorado.edu/cha/sites/default/files/attached-files/fall_dd_print_flyer-antisemitism_and_being_jewish_09.13.2023.pdf
• Event is free and open to the public. This event will not be recorded.

Panelists 

Dr. Alex Bulkacz, MD, is a family medicine physician who has practiced in Colorado for over 30 years. He has experienced antisemitism in both the professional setting as well as personal, particularly during my time growing up in the American South but also here in Colorado. Dr. Bulkacz attended the Medical College of Pennsylvania and completed his residency in family medicine at the University of Colorado Hospital in Denver.

Gregg Drinkwater, PhD, inaugural Program Director for the UC Berkeley Antisemitism Education Initiative (AEI)

Dr. Gregg Drinkwater is the inaugural Program Director for the UC Berkeley (AEI), a project of the Center for Jewish Studies. An award-winning writer, educator, trainer, researcher, and organizational leader, Drinkwater’s work is rooted in fostering inclusive communities. He earned a PhD in U.S. History at the University of Colorado, Boulder, with a specialization in Jewish history and LGBTQ history. As a visiting professor at Boulder and at Rutgers University, Drinkwater has taught courses on American Jewish history; genocide and the Holocaust; queer U.S. history; gender and sexuality in Judaism; and global Jewish history from the ancient world to the present. Starting in 2003, Drinkwater served as the founding executive director of Jewish Mosaic, a national Jewish LGBTQ organization, where he built and managed a team across multiple cities, designed and oversaw the creation of a library of Jewish community resources, and conducted research, trainings, and conferences on issues of inclusion. 

Stacey Aviva Flint is a longtime nonprofit professional in the areas of  Community Development and Jewish Engagement. She hails from a multicultural family of five generations and is passionate about relationship building to combat racism and antisemitism. Stacey is a national and internationally sought speaker and writer with Universities, Jewish institutions, and various coalitions of Jews of Color.

Jerry Pinsker, Chair of the Boulder Steering Committee of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL)

Jerry spent 31 years as a middle school educator, 5 in the NYC public schools and 26 in the Aurora Public Schools. Since retiring, Jerry has been a facilitator for the Anti-Defamation League's World of Difference program working with public school students throughout Colorado on anti-bias and diversity education. In addition, Jerry is a facilitator for ADL’s Words to Action program, working with Jewish students on strategies to recognize and combat antisemitism. Along with his work with ADL, Jerry was the facilities director for the Boulder Jewish Community Center. Jerry has lived in Boulder for over 45 years with his wife of 50 years, Marilyn. Both are founding members of Congregation Bonai Shalom. He has two children, Rachel and Aaron, one son-in-law Ryan and a granddaughter Daliah.  

Pedro Silva, CHA Community Advisory Board member and former pastor at Boulder’s First Congregational UCC

Pedro Silva, YOUnify Director of Engagement, grew up with a Jewish mother and is the former pastor at Boulder’s First Congregational UCC. With his background, Pedro brings a unqiue perspective to this panelist discussion. For 3 years, Pedro served as the State Representative for the Boulder Caucus of Together Colorado, an organization of the Faith In Action Network, where he worked on a variety of issues at the local to state levels from affordable housing, gun violence, and voting to living wage legislation and the Family Leave Act. Pedro has hosted numerous in person and online conversations on race in Boulder County, has been an advocate for the homeless community, and has made a mark on the bridging movement through his volunteer work with Living Room Conversations and now as a Director of Engagement with YOUnify.

Rabbi Marc Soloway has been Bonai Shalom’s Spiritual Leader in Boulder, CO since 2004, the same year that he was ordained at The Ziegler School for Rabbinic Studies at The American Jewish University in Los Angeles. His rabbinical training spanned six years in London, Jerusalem, and Los Angeles. Before that, he was an actor and storyteller in his native London, and developed and performed a spirited one-man show of Jewish stories called The Empty Chair, as well as a show for children called The Jewish Princess and Other Stories with the acclaimed Besht Tellers Theatre Company. Marc is a fellow of Rabbis without Borders, an alum of the Institute of Jewish Spirituality, the former chair of Hazon’s rabbinical council and was in the Forward’s 2014 list of America’s most influential rabbis. Marc values dialogue and diversity and strives to integrate creativity, spirituality and sustainability into his life and his work.

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We invite you to join the conversation on the topic of Abortion at our semi-annual Difficult Dialogue series on March 22, 2023. 

  Register Here 

What to Expect

The Center for the Humanities and the Arts and the University Libraries continue to host Difficult Dialogues â€” a series of panel conversations that bring together people from on and off campus to discuss challenging issues from their own perspectives.

In 2022, we witnessed the end to fifty years of legal protections for the right to abortion care as a result of the United States Supreme Court decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. The court concluded that the constitution does not protect a right to abortion and returned the right of states to regulate abortion. Months after the case, several states have invoked total or near-total bans on abortion, the devastating social, political, and economic impacts of which we are only beginning to understand. Millions of citizens have lost access to abortion care and those already facing discriminatory barriers are disproportionately disadvantaged by the loss of this fundamental right.

This panel features individuals discussing how talking about abortion can be difficult, and how the recent overturning of Roe v. Wade makes conversation about this topic even more fraught. This is not a debate about being pro-life or pro-choice; this difficult dialogue is simply to discuss the difficulty of talking about abortion. Register here for zoom link: 

Ground Rules

We are committed to fostering productive dialogues in the hope that minds and hearts might expand and that mutual respect, understanding, and perhaps self-examination can be fostered by meeting with and listening to each other respectfully. These dialogues are meant to allow us to see each other as human. If you are going to participate, the goal is to develop the capacity of talking about hard issues with as much care for self and others as possible.

Giveaway: Free Books!

The first 15 people to register* (Register Here) as well as attend the event will receive a free copy of the book "" by Jennifer Holland.

  tells the story of one of the most successful political movements of the 20th century: the grassroots campaign against legalized abortion. While Americans have rapidly changed their minds about sex education, pornography, arts funding, gay teachers, and ultimately gay marriage, opposition to legalized abortion has only grown. As other socially conservative movements have lost young activists, the pro-life movement has successfully recruited more young people to its cause. Holland explores why abortion dominates conservative politics like no other cultural issue. Looking at anti-abortion movements in 4 western states since the 1960s—turning to the fetal pins passed around church services, the graphic images exchanged between friends, and the fetus dolls given to children in school—she argues that activists made fetal life feel personal to many Americans.

*You are eligible to receive a free copy of "Tiny You" if you are one of the first 15 people to register for the event. You must attend the event for the majority of the time (45 minutes+). If you are eligible for a free copy, you may pick up your book at the Center for Humanities & the Arts (CHA) office in Macky Auditorium Room 201 (on CU Boulder's main campus). Office hours to pick up your copy are Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 9am - 4pm. If you are unable to make that time, reach out to cu-cha@colorado.edu to schedule alternative times for pickup.

ADA Accommodation

We will work with ADA Compliance to attempt to fulfill any disability requests for ASL interpreting and/or real-time captioning for these events. Requests received less than 48 hours prior to the event cannot be guaranteed. To make a request, please email the Center for Humanities & the Arts (CHA) at cu-cha@colorado.edu.

Panelists

• Christie Burkhart, Clinical Operations and Clinical Compliance Director, Boulder Valley Women’s Health Center
• Amanda Linsenmeyer, Director of the Office of Intercultural Engagement, Center for Inclusion and Social Change, CU Boulder
• Amanda Jean Stevenson, Assistant Professor, Sociology Department, CU Boulder
• Moderator: Kate Kelly, Regional Lead Organizer, New Era Colorado

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A free film screening of the "" documentary and a conversation on "Being Black in Boulder" hosted on Thursday, October 27, 2022.

Event Information:

• Registration: 
• Date: Thursday, October 27, 2022
• Time: 6:45pm - 9:00pm MT (film screening begins at 7pm MT)
  • Film Screening: 7pm - 8:30pm MT
  • Difficult Dialogue: 8:30 - 9pm MT
• Location: in-person at Grace Commons Church Chapel: 1820 15th Street, Boulder, CO 80302
• Flyer Download: This Is [Not] Who We Are - Film Screening & Dialogue flyer
• CU Libraries »Æ¹ÏÊÓƵ:
• Images from Event can be found on the CHA Facebook Page: 

Film Screening:

"" is a documentary film exploring the gap between Boulder's progressive self-image and the lived experiences of its Black citizens. The film braids the lived experiences of Black characters ranging in age from 12 to 78. Some stories are searing, while others are hopeful. The film seeks to open a space for dialogue among Boulderites and about cities like Boulder, overwhelmingly white, wealthy, and conflicted about issues of diversity, inclusion, and equity. Is a more economically and racially diverse future possible, both in Boulder and in cities like it across America?

Difficult Dialogues:

After the film screening, there will be a group of panelists to lead a discussion about issues of race, class, and the community. This is part of the CU Boulder Libraries and Center for Humanities & the Arts semi-annual "Difficult Dialogue" series. The viewers are encouraged to participate in the conversation.

Panelists for the event:

• Katrina Miller: Co-Director of the film, "This is [Not] Who We Are"
• : Senior Associate Pastor at Grace Commons Church
• Dr. Jennifer Ho: Professor, Director of the Center for Humanities & the Arts
• Ami Dayan: Boulder-based Playwright, Director, and Performer
• Dr. Thomas Windham: Psychologist, Educator, featured in film, "This is [Not] Who We Are"

Event Hosts:

This free film screening and dialogue is hosted by , , CU Libraries, and CU Boulder's Center for Humanities & the Arts (CHA). This event is open to the public.

Directions:

This event is at Grace Commons Church at 1820 15th Street, Boulder, CO 80302. Please enter through the doors on 16th street adjacent to the chapel. There is street parking as well as a parking garage (15th & Pearl Parking Garage for $3) if you planned to drive to the event.

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Join us in launching the Center for Humanities & the Arts' new series, "Difficult Dialogues". This series hosts panel conversations that bring together people to discuss challenging issues from their own perspectives. The topics chosen for each event are important, but can be difficult to discuss. We offer a space to have these tough conversations. These events are co-hosted semi-annually by the CHA and CU Libraries.

The first event topic for the series is "How to talk about Race". This event will feature a panel of specialists who will be sharing how they talk about race, especially focusing on how to talk about race in and out of the classroom and how to respond to issues of racism when they impact our campus community (such as the anti-black incident earlier in the fall).

John-Michael Rivera (Writing Program) will moderate a discussion with Sam Flaxmann (Ecology and Evolutionary Biology), Tiara Na’puti (Communication), and Celeste Montoya (Women and Gender Studies).

Tuesday, March 3, 2020
12:00pm - 1:00pm
Norlin Library E260 classroom (2nd floor)

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