During the 2020-2021 school year, the Duke Sanford School of Public Policy presented a signature virtual (online) speaker series to explore important policy conversations to move forward democracy, justice, equity, community, strategy and human rights. The series is produced and presented honor of our school’s founder Terry Sanford.
“I’ve said to students, if you get into politics, you ought to get in with the frame of mind that winning is not everything. And if standing for something defeats you, so be it. Stand for something.” - Duke Sanford School founder Terry Sanford
Each talk in the “Stand for” series is created for a broad audience of Duke students, faculty, community members, alumni; also media, policymakers, prospective students and all interested in these topics from a policy lens. You are welcome to join us!
Stand For Equality
On April 15, 2021, the Sanford School of Public Policy hosted the Stand For Equality virtual event and live Ways and Means podcast event featuring William Darity, Jr. and A. Kirsten Mullen.
Throughout history, the U.S. and other countries have paid reparations to a wide range of people and groups, for a variety of wrongs. But reparations to African Americans for slavery have not been paid to date. How would the debt be calculated? Who would qualify? What methods might work? Would reparations fix racial inequality? This virtual event is also part of Duke's Forever Learning Institute.
Watch the video | Read the student perspective
Stand For Racial Justice
On March 25, 2021, the Sanford School of Public Policy and Duke’s Center for Child and Family Policy organized the Stand For Racial Justice virtual event featuring the Rev. Dr. Starsky Wilson.
Rev. Dr. Starsky Wilson, a pastor, philanthropist, activist and Duke alumnus, became the President and CEO of the Children’s Defense Fund in December 2020. He is a national thought leader in racial justice, community organizing, and movement building and strong advocate for children’s rights. Dr. Wilson joined the Children’s Defense Fund with a focus on leading the current movement to end racial and economic injustice to ensure that every child has a Healthy Start, a Head Start, a Fair Start, a Safe Start and a Moral Start in life.
This ‘Stand For’ talk is co-sponsored by the Duke Divinity School and the Samuel DuBois Cook Center on Social Equity at Duke.
Watch the video | Read the student perspective
Stand For Corporate Social Responsibility
On February 23, 2021, the Sanford School of Public Policy and Duke’s Center for International Development discussed discuss corporate citizenship and how two alumni whose careers exemplify this accountability in the ‘Stand For Corporate Social Responsibility.”
Eddy Malesky, Director of DCID, will interview Manager of Social Impact and Innovation for Almado, Victoria Corti, MIDP’13 and Madewell's Director of Corporate Social Responsibility Gonzalo Pertile, MIDP’17.
Watch the video | Read the student perspective
Stand For Human Rights & Humanitarianism
On Tuesday November 17, David Miliband spoke virtually with Sanford Dean Judith Kelley and Gavin Yamey, professor of the practice of public policy and public health, on the current status of humanitarian work around the world and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Miliband, president and CEO of International Rescue Committee (IRC) since 2013, has a background of policy making in the United Kingdom, having served on the staff of the prime minister before being elected to Parliament and subsequently being appointed the secretary of state for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs. Miliband’s career has been dedicated to advancing human rights, especially for the vulnerable populations of displaced people and refugees. For Miliband, their plight has a distinctly personal dimension. His parents, both Polish Jews, fled continental Europe for the United Kingdom in World War II, a fact Miliband believes is crucial to his identity and work.
Watch the video | Read the student perspective
Stand for Equity
On October 21, 2020 Professor Joel Fleishman welcomed Andrew W. Mellon Foundation President Elizabeth Alexander to his FIRG Seminar which was also part of the Sanford School’s ‘Stand For’ Series.
The conversation covered a decision by the Mellon Foundation, which is nation’s largest funder in art and culture, to switch focus and prioritize social justice in all of its grantmaking. Whereas it typically gives out roughly $300 million a year in grants to arts and humanities organizations, this year because of the economic losses created by the pandemic, it is planning to distribute $500 million.
Watch the video | Read an overview | Read a student perspective
Stand for Community
On October 13, 2020, the Sanford School of Public Policy and Polis: Duke’s Center for Politics welcomed Asha Curran, co-founder and current CEO of GivingTuesday. Curran shared insights from her career as a pioneer in the global generosity movement.
The conversation explored the significance of charitable giving in the midst of a global pandemic and the way re-imagining philanthropy has made it possible to meet needs that often go unmet in the face of political challenges like partisan polarization and legislative gridlock.
Stand for Democracy - Elections, Voting, and Politics
On October 2, 2020, Judith Kelley, Dean of the Sanford School and expert in international comparative politics, interviewed three faculty members about the upcoming elections and challenges facing democracy.
The panel featured Sanford professors Phil Napoli, Mac McCorkle, and Deondra Rose, and was co-sponsored by Polis: Duke Center for Politics and the DeWitt Wallace Center for Media and Democracy. Phil Napoli and Judith Kelley discussed social media, disinformation, and challenging economics related to local journalism. Kelley talked with Mac McCorkle about the election in North Carolina and with Deondra Rose about structural inequality and marginalized communities and how this may affect voter turnout.
Watch the video | Read an overview
Stand for Democracy - Voting During a Pandemic, a Postal Crisis and Presidential Misinformation
On October 1, 2020 the Sanford School of Public Policy welcomed Jessica Huseman, ProPublica journalist and director of their Electionland Project for the first Stand For Democracy event.
The conversation, co-sponsored by the DeWitt Wallace Center for Media and Democracy and Polis: Duke’s Center for Politics, was hosted by Knight Professor of the Practice of Journalism and Public Policy and Director of the DeWitt Wallace Center, Bill Adair.
Electionland, a nationwide initiative of the nonprofit investigative journalism organization ProPublica, is a collaboration of 30 freelance journalists who are assigned to different regions in the country and deployed to cover stories that aim to interrupt everyday problems with voting in local elections for any number of reasons.
Watch the video | Read an overview
Stand for Justice
On September 21, 2020 Sanford hosted the “Stand for Justice” event in partnership with the Hart Leadership Program and the Wilson Center for Science and Justice. This was the first event within the “Stand for” series, which addresses the topics of justice, democracy, strategy, community, and equity.
Moderated by Duke Law professor Brandon Garrett, Sanford hosted Kassandra Frederique from the Drug Policy Alliance, Alec Karakatsanis from the Civil Rights Corps, and Bianca Tylek from Worth Rises, organizations that are doing challenging work in dismantling the prison industrial complex and serving people that have been systematically funneled into the criminal justice system.