Upcoming Events and Programming:

Monday, December 11 - The 17th Annual Eugene J. McCarthy Lecture - The Hon. Philip Davis KC, MP, Prime Minister of The Bahamas

7:30pm
Stephen B. Humphrey Theater, SJU

This year's lecture will feature the Hon. Philip Davis KC, MP, the Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas. Prime Minister Davis is expected to address the unique relationship between The Bahamas and CSB+SJU as well as climate change, economics and other challenges and opportunities related to The Bahamas.

This event is free and open to the public.

We are also hosting a pre-event social with the Prime Minister from 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. in the Founders' Room at SJU.  If you're interested in joining us, please register here as space is limited!

Wednesday, November 15 - TED TALK Understanding the Israel/Hamas Conflict: A look at the historical tension and the modern impacts with Dr. Jason Schlude, & Dr. Christi Siver

11:30am - 12:30pm
McCarthy Center (Simon 136)

The Israel/Hamas conflict has dominated the news over the past month, but the tensions have been present for decades. The McCarthy Center invites you to join us in learning more about the history of the conflict and how historical tensions have led to the violence we see in the news today. We hope to see you there! 

Thursday, November 16th - Race and Education: A Conversation About Survival and Hope With Dr. Reed Author of Junebug 

4:30pm
Multicultural Center Conference Room 

Access to education has a tremendous impact on a person's life. Not only do those who get an education tend to have higher-paying jobs, but they also tend to be healthier and have access to more opportunities. Today, school segregation seems like it ended a long time ago, however, it has been less than 70 years since Brown v. Board of Education. Even after the Supreme Court deemed segregation illegal, many segregated schools weren't integrated until decades later. 

The McCarthy Centyer invites you to a public conversation about the importance of access to education for Black youth who lived through Jim Crow Segregation. Dr. Wilson Reed, the Author of 'Junebug', a book detailing his own experiences growing up in segregated Mississippi and his path to four advanced degrees, will be doing a public reading from portions of his book. A Q&A session will follow, where students will be able to ask Dr. Reed about his experiences and further discuss the importance of education and how race impacts a person's ability to gain access to it. 

Tuesday, September 12 - 2023 Koch Lecture: Racial Justice & LGBTQ Inclusion, The Threat of White Christian Nationalism Presented by Dr. Bryan Massingale"

7:30 p.m., Tuesday, September 12, 2023
Gorecki Dining and Conference Center, College of Saint Benedict

In Catholic discourse, concern for racial justice and LGBTQ inclusion are often treated in isolation. This presentation offers an intersectional approach to racial and sexual justice by exploring the challenge that white Christian nationalism poses to both our democracy and to vulnerable populations. It argues that “seeing and loving the world as God does” requires an uncompromising rejection of the idolatry of Christian nationalism and creating a society where the dignity of all is respected.

Dr. Massingale is a leading African American scholar on racism and social justice. His lecture will focus on the current manifestation of Christian nationalism and envisioning and building a spirituality of resistance against racism. In his teaching, Dr. Massingale specializes in social ethics and focuses upon the impact of religious faith as both an instrument of social injustice and a catalyst for social transformation.

This event is sponsored by the Koch Chair in Catholic Thought and Culture in collaboration with Saint John’s School of Theology and Seminary, the Multicultural Center, Eugene J. McCarthy Center for Public Policy, Department of Political Science, Department of Theology, Department of Gender Studies, and Intercultural LEAD & QPLUS Student Organizations.

Tuesday, September 19 - National Voter Registration Day

Join the McCarthy Center and CSB+SJU Votes Coalition for National Voter Registration Day, which returns this year on September 19. Events and resources TBD.

Tuesday, September 26^th - St. Joe Fall Business Crawl with McNeely Center

4:00-6:30 p.m. in St. Joseph

Join the McNeely Center and McCarthy Center for a guided walking tour of St. Joseph's local small businesses, lead by local artist Mary Bruno of Bruno Press!

Monday, September 25 - 33rd Annual Clemens Lecture: Inequality in Education Presented by Dr. Susan Dynarski of Harvard University

Dr. Susan Dynarski is a professor of education at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education. She earned her bachelor’s degree in social studies and a master’s degree in public policy from Harvard and a Ph.D. in economics from MIT. 

Dynarski’s research focuses on understanding and reducing inequality in education. She uses large-scale datasets and quantitative methods of causal inference to understand the effects of charter schools, financial aid, postsecondary schooling, class size, and high school reforms on academic achievement and educational attainment.

She is a faculty research associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research and was selected as a Carnegie fellow in 2020. The Chronicle of Higher Education named her a “Top Ten Influencer” in 2015. She has been a visiting fellow at Princeton University and the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston. She writes frequently for the New York Times. 

Wednesday, October 4 - “The Only True Sovereign of a Free People”: Abraham Lincoln’s Defense of Majority Rule Book discussion with Dr. James H. Read

5:00 p.m. at Milk and Honey

When Abraham Lincoln was sworn into office, seven slave states had preemptively seceded rather than recognize the legitimacy of his election. In his First Inaugural Address on March 4, 1861, Lincoln replied to the secessionists and set forth a principled defense of majority rule as “the only true sovereign of a free people.” His immediate purpose was to argue against the legitimacy of a powerful minority forcibly partitioning the United States because it was dissatisfied with the results of a free, constitutionally conducted election. His wider purpose was to make the case that a deliberate, constitutionally checked majority, though by no means infallible, was the appropriate decision maker not only on routine political questions but even on the kind of difficult, deeply divisive questions— like the future of slavery—that could otherwise trigger violent contests.

James Read, Professor of Political Science, will draw from his new book, "Sovereign of a Free People: Abraham Lincoln, Majority Rule, and Slavery" (University Press of Kansas, 2023). Read will examine Lincoln's defense of majority rule, and his hope before the war that slavery could be peacefully and democratically abolished. Read will also discuss Lincoln's complicated legacy on issues of race, and his relevance for our contemporary, deeply divided American democracy.

History Theatre Series

This year, the McCarthy Center will be partnering with the History Theatre in St. Paul to bring students to view locally and historically engaging shows throughout the 2023-24 season! Register below!

The Boy Wonder: Friday, October 20

Dubbed the “boy wonder” after being elected the youngest governor of Minnesota in 1938, Harold Stassen was a popular and progressive leader with a vision to unify America. A contemporary musical exploring Stassen’s relationship with his loving and supportive wife, the birth of the United Nations, and the impact he made here in Minnesota and beyond. Examining a time in our history and reflecting on where we are today, it is a story of perseverance, unity, and love for his family and country. 

Who will stand up for our democracy?  

I am Betty: Friday, December 1

Betty Crocker has helped shape America's homes and appetites for over a century. Surprising to many, she was not a real person! As a radio and television personality, a letter-writing confidante, and a relatable icon, "Betty" has been a subject of both admiration and scorn as multiple generations have grappled with questions of women's role in American society. You'll catch yourself humming the memorable music from this world premiere production and inspired to go home to bake something new!

Just “Add an Egg” this holiday season!

*This showing will qualify as a gender co-curricular event

Handprints: Friday, February 2

A powerful and vibrant autobiographical story written and performed by one of the Twin Cities' most renowned theater artists, Greta Oglesby. Based on her book, Mama ‘n ‘Nem, Handprints on My Life, this production is a love letter to the ordinary, yet extraordinary people who shaped her life. Experience the gift of Greta’s story with unique storytelling including the gorgeous music that has inspired the person she is today.

Experience the gift of Greta Oglesby’s story.

Sponsored Event - A Unique Assignment: Saturday, March 16

Two men – Henry Gallagher, white, and James Meredith, Black – are thrust into each other’s lives when, in the aftermath of the Ole Miss Riot, Gallagher is placed in charge of Meredith’s on-campus security detail. As they navigate the political and social rollercoaster of desegregation, a tenuous relationship is forged – one that, for Gallagher, leads to eventual revelation. Explore this milestone moment in Civil Rights history through Gallagher and Meredith’s own words and perspectives on their shared experience.

Discover this significant turning point in the history of the Civil Rights movement.

*This event will qualify as a race/ethnicity co-curricular event