2022 Jefferson Lecture in the Humanities

Posted in Other Events

Andrew Delbanco, the Alexander Hamilton Professor of American Studies at Columbia University, President of the Teagle Foundation, and 2011 National Humanities Medalist, will deliver the 2022 Jefferson Lecture in the Humanities on October 19 at President Lincoln’s Cottage historic site and museum in Washington, D.C., at 6:30 p.m.

The Jefferson Lecture in the Humanities, established by the National Endowment for the Humanities in 1972, is the highest honor the federal government confers for distinguished intellectual achievement in the humanities. This year will mark the 50th anniversary of the honorary lecture series. In his lecture, “The Question of Reparations: Our Past, Our Present, Our Future,” Delbanco will address reparations for slavery in the United States, using history, philosophy, and literature to examine a wide range of perspectives on the debate. The lecture is free and open to the public, with tickets distributed via Eventbrite. All tickets will be general admission and seating is first-come first-served. It will also stream online at the National Endowment for the Humanities’ website.

A renowned scholar of American literary, religious, and cultural history, Delbanco has taught at Columbia University since 1985, where he teaches and writes on the history of American education, colonial and classic American literature, and American culture past and present. “Steeped in the long history of American thought, Andrew Delbanco is one of the nation’s foremost cultural critics and public intellectuals,” said NEH Chair Shelly C. Lowe (Navajo). “He has devoted his career to careful study of the development of America’s ideals and national identity. In his writing, teaching, and speaking, Delbanco holds a mirror to our society and shows us how our country’s collective past continues to shape our daily lives and values.” Among his many accolades, Delbanco was named by Time magazine as “America’s Best Social Critic” in 2001 and is the recipient of a Great Teacher Award from the Society of Columbia Graduates. Additionally, President Barack Obama presented him with the National Humanities Medal for his writings on higher education and the place classic authors hold in history and contemporary life.