Evening With Heather Cox Richardson

Join us on October 18 for an evening with Heather Cox Richardson, historian and author of the daily newsletter Letters from an American. Cox Richardson will talk about her new book, Democracy Awakening, a vital narrative that explains how America, once a beacon of democracy, now teeters on the brink of autocracy -- and how we can turn back. Mark Lawrence, Director of the LBJ Presidential Library, will moderate the conversation.

This program will be held in-person in the Lady Bird Johnson Auditorium located at the LBJ Presidential Library.

The Store at LBJ will be selling copies of Democracy Awakening onsite in the upper lobby of the LBJ Auditorium before and after the program. Cox Richardson will be available to sign copies purchased through the Store at LBJ from 5:30-6:15 p.m. By purchasing through the Store at LBJ, you support a local cultural institution. All proceeds from sales support our programming, exhibits, and educational initiatives at the LBJ Presidential Library.
 

About the speaker:

Heather Cox Richardson is a professor of history at Boston College and an expert on American political and economic history. She is the author of seven books, including the award-winning How the South Won the Civil War. Her work has appeared in The Washington Post, The New York Times, and The Guardian, among other outlets. Her widely read newsletter, Letters from an American, synthesizes history and modern political issues.

About the book:

In her new book, Democracy Awakening: Notes on the State of America (Viking; on sale: 9/26/23), Richardson explains how a small group of wealthy people have made war on American ideals, leading us down a dangerous path to authoritarianism. By weaponizing language and promoting a false history, they have created a disaffected population and then promised to recreate an imagined past where those people could feel important again. Richardson argues that taking our country back starts by remembering the elements of the nation’s true history that marginalized Americans have always upheld – their dedication has sustained our democracy in the past and can be a roadmap for our future.

Richardson’s talent is to distill bleak headlines and wide swaths of history into a coherent story that singles out what we should pay attention to and what the precedents are. Democracy Awakening examines the origins of our modern rightwing swing, from the deep roots of racism, oligarchy, and minority rule to the courage of heroes now and then, fighting back for progressive causes. Far from dry, inaccessible, or unwieldy history, this book is instead like having a world-class scholar talk to you over the dinner table, decoding a confusing world and making you feel smarter and more knowledgeable than you did before.

Location and Parking

The LBJ Auditorium is located on the lower level of the LBJ complex at 2313 Red River St. Access to the auditorium will be through the lobby of the LBJ School of Public Affairs. Free parking will be available in the LBJ Library visitors' lot (#38), and lots #37 and #39 after 5 p.m.

Please note that Red River Street is closed between Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. and Clyde Littlefield Drive. Red River Street is open and accessible from E. Dean Keeton Street; please plan your route accordingly.

The doors will open at 5:30 p.m. to allow plenty of time for guests to enter the LBJ Auditorium.

To RSVP:

FRIENDS MEMBERS (at the Individual level and above): Please register using the form below. You must be a current member of the Friends at the Individual level or above to register. Museum and Family Museum members do not receive admission to the programming series as part of their membership benefits.