Events

Bernardo Piciche

Filippo Mazzei and the Birth of American Democracy

Date: Wednesday, Sep 9, 2026

Dr. Bernardo Piciché, associate professor in the Department of English, argues that "All men are created equal" belongs to a much older and broader intellectual tradition than most Americans assume.

russell contreras

A Conversation with Axios Senior Religion Reporter, Russell Contreras

Date: Tuesday, Sep 22, 2026

Russell Contreras, Senior Race and Justice reporter for Axios will be coming to VCU to talk about his career in journalism as a Hispanic Catholic.

Jason Ross Arnold

Democracy's Newest Test: AI in Historical Perspective

Date: Monday, Oct 5, 2026

Is AI just the next disruptor in a long line of world-changing technologies, or is it something genuinely new? Dr. Jason Ross Arnold, professor and chair of the Department of Political Science, tackles the question.

kathleen duval

Society of the Cincinnati Lecture featuring Kathleen Duval, Ph.D.

Date: Tuesday, Oct 6, 2026

Join us October 6 for a lecture by Pulitzer Prize winning author and historian Kathleen DuVal, Ph.D., of UNC Chapel Hill.

Geoff Bennett (photo credit: Johnny Shryock)

Black Out Loud: A Conversation with Geoff Bennett

Date: Friday, Oct 9, 2026

Join us for a conversation with Geoff Bennett, co-anchor and co-managing editor of the PBS NewsHour. Bennett will discuss his book "Black Out Loud: The Revolutionary History of Black Comedy from Vaudeville to '90s Sitcoms."

Illustration of Black Revolutionary War soldiers with text that reads, Declarations: Black Americans and the Revolutionary War a documentary film screening, Tuesday October 13 5:30 PM

Declarations: Black Americans and the Revolutionary War

Date: Tuesday, Oct 13, 2026

In partnership with the L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs, the College of Humanities and Sciences presents a screening of the documentary “Declarations: Black Americans and the Revolutionary War” from VPM and director Stacey L. Holman.

adam jortner

Jewish Patriots and the American Revolution

Date: Monday, Nov 9, 2026

In his visit to the VCU campus, Adam Jortner will talk about the main points he writes about in his book, "A Promised Land: Jewish Patriots, the American Revolution, and the Birth of Religious Freedom."

Shaily Patel

The Blake Lecture in the History of Christianity

Date: Thursday, Apr 1, 2027

Save the date of April 1, 2027 for the annual Blake Lecture in the History of Christianity featuring Shaily Patel, Ph.D., an assistant professor of early Christianity in the Department of Religion and Culture at Virginia Tech.

Annual Lecture Series

The history department is pleased to offer the community four annual lectures supported by the generosity of donors. Visit the links below for more information.