Georgetown University Georgetown University Logo Berkley Center Berkley Center Logo

On Being Young in America

Intergenerational Conversations on What It Means To Be Human, How We Want to Live, and Whom We Will Be to Each Other in Post-Election America

Phone flashlights at night.

November 18, 2024
7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. EST
Location: Healy Hall Gaston Hall Map

Our U.S. national discourse can feel stuck, divisive, and at times, intolerant. In the midst of this, young voices can offer new perspectives, honest feedback, and refreshing wisdom. Social healing requires dialogue, exposure to difference, the generous art of offering questions, and deep listening to wisdom from across generations. Such shared experiences can illuminate a path out of entrenched polarization and toward a generative narrative of our time.

Join us for a transformative event on November 18, where acclaimed best-selling New York Times author and newly named MacArthur “Genius” Jason Reynolds engages in a profound conversation with Krista Tippett, host of On Being.

This unique gathering, co-hosted by On Being and Georgetown University, seeks to break the mold of our divisive national discourse by amplifying young voices and fostering intergenerational dialogue in the heart of Washington, DC. In a post-election landscape, this initiative invites participants to explore what it means to be a young person in America today.

The evening will open with short scenes shared by intergenerational conversation pairs. These are an outcome of In Your Shoes, a signature program of Georgetown University’s Laboratory for Global Performance and Politics, which employs techniques rooted in theatrical performance to promote deep listening and empathy, bringing participants of diverse backgrounds into mutually respectful creative exchange.

Doors open at 6:30 p.m.

Participants