Past Events

Past Events at the Lehman Center

Find recordings of past book talks, panels, and events here

Confronting McCarthyism (2026)

"It can happen here." These were the chilling words whispered during the 1950s, as the witch hunt against communists claimed the livelihoods of thousands of citizens, trailed fear into the homes of millions, and stifled dissent nationwide. McCarthyism impacted all Americans, but certain families faced its whole force head on. On March 3, 2026, nearly 400 community members joined this historic conversation to hear some of the Red Scare's most significant targets reflect on these struggles and the continuing legacies of their families' harrowing experiences. See images of the event below.

Historians and the Archives Book Talks (2021-2022)

Race, Inequality, and Health Lecture Series (2020-2021)

Event poster for book talk called "'Don't Get Sick After June': A Seventy-Year Long Survival Strategy for Native Americans Navigating the Indian Health Service" by Maria John (University of Massachusetts Boston)
March 11, 2021
Event poster for lecture called "Chronic Complication: Diabetes, Amputations, and Race in America" by Richard M. Mizelle, Jr. (University of Houston)
February 4, 2021
Event poster for book talk called "The Golden Arches in America" by Marcia Chatelain (Georgetown University)
November 18, 2020

Policing America Lecture Series (2020-2021)

Event poster for lecture called "Occupied Territory: Policing Black Chicago from Red Summer to Black Power" by Simon Balto (University of Iowa)
November 5, 2020
Event poster for book talk called "Invisible No More: Police Violence Against Black Women and Color" by Andrea Ritchie (Barnard Center for Research in Women)
September 24, 2020

American Politics/American Identities Lecture Series (Fall 2020)

Event poster for book talk called "Abortion and the Law in America: Roe v. Wade to the Present" by Mary Ziegler (Florida State University)
February 24, 2021
Event poster for book talk called "Congress and White Supremacy After Reconstruction" by Ira Katznelson (Columbia University)
November 19, 2020
Event poster for book talk called "Vanguard: How Black Women Broke Barriers, Won the Vote, & Insisted on Equality for All" by Martha S. Jones (Johns Hopkins University)
October 15, 2020
Event poster for book talk called "The Hispanic Republican: The Shaping of An American Political Identity, from Nixon to Trump" by Geraldo Cadava (Northwestern University)
October 8, 2020