Ellice Patterson is the founder/ executive and artistic director of Abilities Dance, a Boston-based dance company that welcomes artists with and without disabilities. She currently serves on the board of Massachusetts Cultural Council. She was an artist in residence with the City of Boston’s transportation department, using dance as a way to promote more accessibility on the streets and sidewalks of the city 2022 - 2023.

Ciara Moser, originally from Dublin but raised in Austria, currently calls Boston her home base. As a blind bassist of Austrian-Irish descent, she showcases her versatility across various musical styles and genres, seamlessly blending into band, orchestra, film, and ensemble projects, both in live performances and studio sessions.

Why have so many Americans turned against democracy? How did we get to the point where an organized political movement within the U.S. is working to bring down its own democratic system? These are the questions that journalist Katherine Stewart grapples with, in her new NYT bestselling book, 'Money, Lies and God'.

Stewart’s latest investigation exposes the inner workings of the “engine of unreason” roiling American culture and politics, dissembling the roots of the problem. Along with her in-depth research into this “new style of religion”, she demonstrates that the movement relies on several distinct constituencies, with very different and often conflicting agendas. Stewart provides a compelling analysis of the authoritarian reaction in the U.S. Her reporting and political expertise helps reframe the conversation about the moral collapse of conservatism in America and points a practical way forward toward a democratic future.

This is Stewart’s third book about the rise of the religious right in America; Rob Reiner’s 2024 documentary, 'God and Country' is based on Stewart’s previous award-winning book, 'The Power Worshippers'.

Katherine Stewart has covered the intersection of faith and politics for over 15 years; her work appears in the New York Times, The Washington Post, the New Republic, the Guardian, and Religion News Service and she has been featured on broadcast media outlets such as MSNBC, CNN, and NPR. Her 2012 book, 'The Good News Club', covered the religious right’s effort to infiltrate and undermine public education.

ArtsEmerson is the professional presenting and producing organization at Emerson College, and its mission is to bring people together to experience powerful performances that delight, provoke, and inspire, celebrating both our differences and common humanity. Founded in 2010 by Robert J. Orchard — the year the U.S. Census confirmed there was no single cultural majority in Boston — ArtsEmerson is committed to building a cultural institution that reflects the diversity of our city. Our imaginative and globe-spanning live and virtual performances, films, and conversations invites each of us to be part of a Boston that is more creative, equitable, and connected. ArtsEmerson is led by Interim Executive Director of the Office of the Arts & ArtsEmerson Director of Artistic Programming, Ronee Penoi. For more information, visit artsemerson.org.

The Guerrilla Girls are anonymous artist activists who use disruptive headlines, outrageous visuals and killer statistics to expose gender and ethnic bias and corruption in art, film, politics, and pop culture. One of them spoke for the BPL's series on Revolutionary Art in 2025.

Hear Meg Stone—Executive Director of IMPACT Boston, an abuse prevention and empowerment self-defense organization—for a discussion of her new book 'The Cost of Fear: Why Most Safety Advice Is Sexist and How We Can Stop Gender-Based Violence.' Stone shows us how we can make safety choices that expand our worlds and contribute to the fight for social justice. She will be joined in conversation by Shameka Gregory—licensed independent clinical social worker (LICSW) and the Coordinator of the Domestic and Gender Based Violence Prevention Initiative for the city of Cambridge.

Shameka Gregory is a west coast native and has spent her life studying people. She moved to Boston in 2004 to formalize her studies and holds degrees in psychology and clinical social work from Boston University and Boston College. She is a licensed independent clinical social worker (LICSW) and is now the Coordinator of the Domestic and Gender Based Violence Prevention Initiative for the city of Cambridge.

Meg Stone, Executive Director of the abuse prevention and empowerment self-defense organization IMPACT Boston, lives in Cambridge, MA with her partner, Mal. As a renowned author with numerous awabeen published in Huffington Post, Newsweek, Washington Post, Boston Globe, Dame, and Ms. She has received numerous awards for her work over the past 30 years.

 India is an emerging major power in world affairs, occupying a pivotal position between China, the United States, and the Global South. Its population size, economy, and geopolitical location ensure that it will be an influential voice in debates and political struggles over global order. What are India’s choices and opportunities for regional and global leadership? How will it maneuver between China and the United States, and what is its role as a voice of the Global South? What opportunities exist for Washington to work with India?

With WorldBoston and Sugata Bose, Former Member of Parliament in India and Professor of Oceanic History and Affairs at Harvard University.