Liberal Arts in Action

Leading scholars, journalists, and community voices join together for a series of virtual panel discussions exploring how liberal arts expertise shapes our understanding of today’s most pressing civic issues.

Upcoming Events

Operation Metro Surge, State Violence, and Resistance at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities Campus

May 18, 2026

This panel examines Operation Metro Surge’s impact on UMN, highlighting faculty and student resistance to state violence, racial profiling, and the defense of vulnerable groups.

Past Events

Listening for Calm: Music and Well-being in Times of Uncertainty

April 13, 2026

This concluding panel of the Music in a Time of Crisis Series explores how music, sound, and mindfulness practices can support personal and collective well-being

Composing Justice, Sounding Resistance, Staging Solidarity

March 30, 2026

The second panel in the Music in a Time of Crises series examines how composers, venues, and cultural networks mediate, shape, and mobilize collective action.

Singing Resistance: Collective Song, Community Care, and Nonviolent Action

March 16, 2026

The opening panel of Music in a Time of Crisis will center on Singing Resistance, a mass movement of singers and organizers who use collective singing as a form of nonviolent action.

Crisis and Change: The Metamorphosis of State Violence and the Community’s Collective Response

March 5, 2026

A powerful forum on language, crisis, and artistic resistance in Minneapolis. Panels will explore state power, solidarity, and justice in the wake of “Operation Metro Surge.”

Dialogue on the Day of Truth and Freedom

January 23, 2026

View or listen to the recording. This day-long series of panel discussions included Lessons from 2020: State Sanctioned Violence and Constitutional Protections for Citizens and Immigrants, Beyond Documenting: The Role of the Photojournalist When Everyone is Recording, First Amendment Protections and Responsibilities Afforded Journalists and Citizens: Documenting Law Enforcement, and Community Journalism When ICE is in the Community.