Judy Woodruff to Deliver Weil Lecture
January 6, 2024 | Kristen Chavez
Judy Woodruff will deliver the Weil Lecture on American Citizenship, hosted by the Institute for the Arts and Humanities, on March 25, 2024.
Woodruff is the former anchor and managing editor of PBS NewsHour. She now hosts Judy Woodruff Presents: America at a Crossroads, a recurring feature on PBS NewsHour.
As part of the Weil Lecture, which is titled after her reporting project, Woodruff will discuss her efforts to understand why the country is deeply divided. “I am traveling the country, talking with ordinary Americans, as well as scholars and community leaders, as we try to shine a light on why many Americans are so fundamentally separated in their views, and what factors lie at the core of our division,” Woodruff wrote.
Institute Director Patricia Parker noted that the lecture comes at an important time for the university. The lecture’s topic aligns with the “Promote Democracy” initiative in the university’s strategic plan, Carolina Next: Innovations for Public Good.
“Judy Woodruff’s current project directly engages the American citizenry, generating conversation on critical topics, which is at the heart of a democratic society,” said Parker.
The Weil Lecture will also present an opportunity for related programming, as the Institute strengthens its collaborative ties with IAH Fellows and campus partners to explore themes on American citizenship and conversation. Additional events or workshops will be announced later on the IAH website.
“Judy’s visit is timely. Her work is a model for the Institute and our campus partners as we create spaces for productive dialogue and critical inquiry,” added Parker.
Woodruff is an alumna of Duke University, of which she is a trustee emerita. She is also a founding co-chair of the International Women’s Media Foundation.
In recognition of her career, she has received the Emmy Lifetime Achievement Award, the Radcliffe Medal, the Poynter Media for Lifetime Achievement in Journalism, and the Gwen Ifill Press Freedom Award from the Committee to Protect Journalists.
Woodruff joins a growing list of distinguished Weil speakers, including President Jimmy Carter, Eleanor Roosevelt, Rev. Dr. William J. Barber, and Claire McCaskill. Henry and Solomon Weil established the lecture in 1915 to widen the discussion of the concept of American citizenship. The Institute has hosted the Weil Lecture since 2000.
The 2024 Weil Lecture will be on March 25 from 5:30-7:00 p.m. in Hill Hall’s Moeser Auditorium. Tickets are not required, but reservations are requested.
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