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Kennedy Institute Newsletter | FALL 2021
FROM THE INTERIM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Hello friends,

As we enter our second school year during the COVID-19 pandemic, I am so pleased to report that the Kennedy Institute is again able to re-open our building and its one-of-a-kind replica of the U.S. Senate Chamber for students to participate in civic education programs, and to learn about important contemporary issues by serving as “senators for the day.’’ In full compliance with public health guidelines, we are able to offer once again in-person programming for students and teachers by group reservation, in addition to our ongoing and successful virtual programming options.

We also have a great lineup of virtual programs of interest to the general public planned for this fall, such as the upcoming “Getting to the Point on Immigration and Refugees,” which will look at the plight of refugees around the world, and “Speeches to Tweets: Why Presidential Rhetoric Matters,” where we will hear from presidential speechwriters on the impact the president’s rhetoric has on news reporting … and more!

Finally, we are very excited that the Kennedy Institute’s Annual Dinner will be held on December 2, when we will be presenting the Kennedy Institute’s Award for Inspired Leadership to the CEOs of two companies that moved with unprecedented speed to develop COVID-19 vaccinations that have saved the lives of millions of people around the world: Moderna’s Stéphane Bancel and Pfizer’s Albert Bourla. More information about this very special event follows – we invite you to join us!

Thank you again for your continued support during these unprecedented times.


Sue Heilman
Interim Executive Director
RECENT NEWS | stay informed
Kennedy Institute prepares for in-person Facilitated School Programs; continues offering virtual options

The Kennedy Institute is excited to begin welcoming student groups back to the Senate Chamber in-person this fall to talk about environmental policy, immigration, and elections and voting rights. Interested educators can visit our Facilitated School Programs page ([link removed]) to learn more about our offerings and schedule a visit for their class(es). This page also explains the necessary COVID-19 protocols.

Do you know an educator, principal, or superintendent looking for engaging civic education lessons? We want to help teachers the best way we can: by bringing civic education to life in their classroom through the unique prism of the Kennedy Institute’s focus on the history, traditions, and operations of the United States Senate. Learn more
here ([link removed]) about how our education programs can complement a lesson plan, immerse students in civic education, and inspire the next generation of leaders.

Because we understand that in-person field trips and the travel they require still present challenges for many schools, the Kennedy Institute continues to offer a wide variety of our current programs through virtual/online formats, such as Zoom.

[link removed]
View the trailer for the Kennedy Institute's virtual educational programs

As always, our programs remain free of charge for students from Massachusetts public schools, thanks to generous support from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the James M. and Cathleen D. Stone Foundation.

UPCOMING EVENTS | join us
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Getting to the Point on Immigration and Refugees
Tuesday, October 12 | 2:30 - 3:30pm

Please join the Kennedy Institute for a timely conversation on immigration and refugees from both an American and global perspective. Leading immigration experts and advocates will discuss the current crisis at the U.S. Southern border and its connection to the larger crisis of forced displacement and migration around the world. The conversation will explore the plight of refugees from around the world, especially following the recent events in Afghanistan.

Moderated by Marcelo Suárez-Orozco, Chancellor of the University of Massachusetts Boston and Kennedy Institute Board member, the conversation will include:

- JC Kendrickson, Senior Director for Refugee and Asylum Policy, International Rescue Committee
- Dr. Carolina Jiménez Sandoval, President, Washington Office on Latin America

Register For This Event ([link removed])
[link removed]
2021 MAAH Stone Book Award
Thursday, October 14 | 6:30 - 8:30pm

Please join the Museum of African American History and the James M. and Cathleen D. Stone Foundation, in partnership with the Kennedy Institute, for the 2021 MAAH Stone Book Award Virtual Event.

Hosted by Callie Crossley, host of GBH’s “Under the Radar,” the event will feature a conversation with Dr. Daphne A. Brooks, the winner of the $50,000 MAAH Stone Book Award for her book Liner Notes for the Revolution: The Intellectual Life of Black Feminist Sound. The program will also include recognition for special guests, including award jurors who devoted countless hours to reviewing submissions and selecting the winning book.

The MAAH Stone Book Award is an annual prize that encourages scholarship and writing within the field of African-American history and culture by awarding a $50,000 prize and two $10,000 finalist prizes for exceptional adult non-fiction books written in a literary style.
Register For This Event ([link removed])
[link removed]
From Speeches to Tweets: Why Presidential Rhetoric Matters
Thursday, October 21 | 5:30 - 6:30pm

The President of the United States has the largest megaphone in the world, and communications from presidents and their staffs often dominate today’s 24/7 news cycle. We invite you to join former presidential speechwriters from both sides of the aisle for a discussion on the importance of word choice by the president, from major speeches to Tweets, and the impact this rhetoric has on news reporting, especially given the evolution of communications technology and what Americans expect to hear from their president in both substance and style. Moderated by Tamara Keith, White House Correspondent for NPR, the conversation will include:

- Ambassador Carolyn Curiel, former speechwriter for President Bill Clinton
- Cody Keenan, former chief speechwriter for President Barack Obama and Kennedy Institute Board member
- John McConnell, former speechwriter for President George W. Bush

Register For This Event ([link removed])
[link removed]
Stone Social Impact Forum featuing Nicholas Kristoff
Monday, December 13 | 5:30 - 6:30pm

Nicholas Kristof, the Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times columnist, will headline the virtual Fall 2021 Stone Social Impact Forum. Known for his reporting on human rights and giving a voice to the voiceless around the world, Mr. Kristof will share his experiences and discuss his most recent publication, Tightrope: Americans Reaching for Hope (2020).

Co-authored with his wife, Sheryl WuDunn, a banker and business executive and former Times reporter as well, Tightrope issues a plea to address the crisis in working-class America while also focusing on solutions to mend a half-century of governmental failure. They tell this story through the lives of people with whom Kristof grew up: Nearly one in four children on his old school bus died by adulthood from drugs, alcohol, suicide, or reckless accidents. While these particular stories unfolded in Oregon, the book explores how tragically representative they are of all too many places across the country.

Register For This Event ([link removed])
OTHER NEWS | learn more
Senator Edward M. Kennedy’s impact on the victims of 9/11/01

Anyone alive on September 11, 2001, will never forget the terrorist attacks of that day that brought down the World Trade Center in New York, attacked the Pentagon, and inspired the heroism of passengers of United Flight 93 to prevent still more destruction and death. Thousands of American families lost fathers and mothers, daughters and sons, brothers and sisters that day.

Within 24 hours of the attacks, with assistance from his dedicated staff, Senator Kennedy had reached out personally to every family from Massachusetts who had lost a loved one.

Cindy McGinty, whose husband Mike, a U.S. Navy veteran, died in the North Tower of the World Trade Center, recalled: “My phone rang, and his booming voice came over the phone--and it was the Senator.”

Christie Coombs, who lost her husband Jeff, a passenger on American Airlines Flight 11, recalled: “Senator Kennedy said he understood our grief and promised he would be there for us. His words became action. He helped us see light through the darkness.”

Sally White got the same phone call when it was learned that her daughter, Susan Blair, who worked in the South Tower, had also been a victim of the terrorist attacks: "He was amazing. He had all the time in the world for me. I was totally blown away."

We invite you to
read more through Cindy McGinty’s Oral History ([link removed]) , which was donated to the Kennedy Institute’s Oral History project, and shares additional memories of conversations with Senator Kennedy after the horrors of September 11, 2001.

Board member Andy Card's role on 9/11/01

In addition, in remembrance of the 20^th anniversary of 9/11/01, Kennedy Institute Board Member Andrew Card, who served as President George W. Bush’s Chief of Staff on that day, recently offered his memories in an interview for Nantucket Magazine, whose Publisher is Kennedy Institute Board Chairman Bruce Percelay: Witness to History: Former Bush Chief of Staff Andy Card remembers the day that changed the country and the world. ([link removed])

YOUR SUPPORT | make a difference
A Celebration of Inspired Leadership | 2021 Annual Event
Tuesday, December 2, 2021

The Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate will present its 2021 Award for Inspired Leadership to the CEOs of Moderna and Pfizer for their lifesaving roles in creating vaccines to protect against the COVID-19 virus.

As the centerpiece of the Kennedy Institute’s Dec. 2 Annual Dinner, the award will be presented to Moderna CEO Stéphane Bancel and Pfizer CEO and Chairman Albert Bourla, recognizing their leadership and their companies’ efforts to create millions of safe and effective vaccinations against the novel coronavirus on an unprecedented short timeline. The Annual Dinner serves as the marquee fundraising event for our nonprofit, nonpartisan, civic-education organization.

During the dinner, Mr. Bancel and Dr. Bourla will participate in a joint fireside-chat conversation with NBC News Chief White House Correspondent and 'Weekend TODAY' Co-Anchor Kristen Welker.

We encourage you to join us and/or to become a sponsor of this exciting event! For more information about attending, please visit
HERE ([link removed]) .
2020 Annual Report

We are pleased to announce that the Kennedy Institute’s 2020 Annual Report is now available to view online ([link removed]) . This report describes last year’s educational and public programming, exhibits, partnerships, donors, and so much more.

As always, the Kennedy Institute is deeply grateful to all the dedicated individuals and organizations whose donations and support enable us to remain a dynamic hub of civic engagement, encouraging participatory democracy, invigorating civil discourse, and inspiring the next generation of citizens and leaders to engage in the civic life of their communities.

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