• April 18
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• Richland

Music with a Message: Songs of Social Change

Songs can be more than music—they can act as powerful tools for changing society. Acoustic trio Trillium-239 highlights notable social movements from the past 150 years that have been powered by song. Music has helped efforts to end slavery, secure voting rights, shorten wars, and promote civil rights, and provided a way to enact and […]

• April 18
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• Kent

Always On: How to Turn Up the Volume on Everyday Communication

Is there such a thing as an “authentic self?” Though the phrase looks great on an inspirational poster, we are constantly in flux. You may act differently as a friend or a romantic partner, as a worker or a boss, or as a student or a teacher. We are all performing every day, and these […]

• April 18
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• Yakima

Let’s Talk about Race

Racism thrives in silence. It’s when we stop talking to one another about our beliefs that prejudices go unchallenged, and the gap between us widens. Yet race is one of the most difficult topics to discuss in American society. If we are to heal many of our country’s social, economic, and political divides, we can’t […]

• April 18
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• Sedro-Woolley

The Poetic Apothecary: Poems for Healing and Comfort

Just as a cup of tea can settle and sooth us, the right poem at the right time can be a powerful sustaining remedy. Poet and performer Judith Adams explores poetry’s restorative powers by reciting and exploring poems that help us understand grief, fear, sadness, loss, and much more. By sharing her love of poetry, […]

• April 17
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• Seattle

Tangled: Why Your Hair Matters to Society

Hair is simply a collection of protein filaments that sprout from our scalp, yet it carries great meaning for us and our society. From twists and tapers to braids and buns, what’s on top of our head and how it is received by others often reflects society’s standards of beauty and desirability. Using song, video, […]

• April 17
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• Tonasket

Storm Warning: Historic Weather in the Evergreen State

Local broadcaster and historian Feliks Banel explores our region’s darkest weather days and most infamous storms. With archival photos, radio, and TV clips, Banel takes us back in time to hear stories of those who survived some of the worst Pacific Northwest weather in recorded history. Further, Banel explores how these storms can revive our […]

• April 17
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• Olympia

What’s Age Got to Do with It?

“You look good for your age.” “You’re too young to understand.” In employment decisions, family discussions, medical care, and even in birthday cards, assumptions about being “over the hill” or “a lazy kid” are common. What do you wish society would stop saying about your generation? How can we talk about age and aging in […]

• April 17
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• Poulsbo

Let It Not Happen Again: Lessons of the Japanese American Exclusion

In March of 1942, 227 Japanese Americans were forcibly removed from their homes on Bainbridge Island by the US Army. Starting with this small community, a national strategy began, with more than 120,000 Japanese American men, women, and children forcibly removed and incarcerated during World War II. Clarence Moriwaki shares the story of Bainbridge Island—the […]

• April 16
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• Leavenworth

Is Truth Really Dead in America?

Alternative facts, fake news, post-truth—these phrases have flooded the American conversation over the past several years. But how bad is it really, and what can we, as a society and as individuals, do to be better informed? WSU professor Steven Stehr investigates the roots and consequences of the erosion of truth, with a focus on […]

• April 16
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• Longview

Washington’s Undiscovered Feminists

In commemoration of the 100th anniversary of women’s suffrage, remember some of the remarkable, but often unsung, women of the Pacific Northwest. Writer Mayumi Tsutakawa presents five “woman warriors” in the arts and journalism whose inspiring stories reach back to the early years of our region. Meet the pioneering photographer Imogen Cunningham, Black American jazz […]