BOSTON — The Boston Mayor’s Office of Arts & Culture, in partnership with Harvard University’s Hutchins Center for African and African American Research, has announced the fall 2025 lineup for the Un-monument public conversation series.
The second year of the program will feature free discussions on democracy, justice, and the role of monuments in civic life, according to a statement from the Mayor’s Office of Arts & Culture. Events will be held at The Embrace on Boston Common, each followed by a free dinner reception led by local artists and cultural leaders.
This season’s schedule includes:
- Aug. 20 — “Truth Matters: Disagreement in an Age of Division” with Professors Cornel West and Robert P. George, discussing civil discourse amid political fragmentation.
- Sept. 10 — “Constitutional Crossroads: Is the Constitution Broken?” with Professors Aziz Rana and Noah Feldman debating whether the U.S. Constitution can sustain democratic life.
- Sept. 24 — “More Than Stone: How Monuments Speak to and About Us” with Professor Juliet Hooker and Dr. Clint Smith exploring the role of monuments in shaping public memory.
Curated by Harvard professor Brandon Terry, the series is part of the city’s multi-year Un-monument | Re-monument | De-monument: Transforming Boston program, supported by a $3 million Mellon Foundation grant. The initiative seeks to encourage public reflection on monuments and historical narratives, particularly as Boston prepares to mark the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution in 2026.
“Public conversations are the origin story of the Un-monument initiative, borne out of a growing public reckoning with monuments both locally and nationally,” said Karin Goodfellow, director of transformative art and monuments for the City of Boston.
For more information or to RSVP, visit boston.gov/un-monument.
