section of the oepning of the U.S. Constitution resting on a U.S. flag

‘What the Constitution Means to Us’

Scholars Doris Kearns Goodwin and Akhil Reed Amar will be featured speakers at the fifth annual event September 17

The șÚÁÏčÙÍű College community will commemorate Constitution and Citizenship Day—a federal observance honoring the signing of the United States Constitution—on September 17 by sharing their perspectives on the nation’s founding document at the fifth annual “What the Constitution Means to Us” event hosted by the Clough Center for the Study of Constitutional Democracy.

Doris Kearns Goodwin

Doris Kearns Goodwin (Annie Liebovitz)

Co-sponsored by the Winston Center for Leadership and Ethics, this year’s event—which takes place from 4-5:30 p.m. at the Robsham Theater Arts Center—will bring together BC faculty, graduate students, undergraduates, and nationally recognized scholars Doris Kearns Goodwin H’25 and Akhil Reed Amar for a public discussion on the Constitution and its centrality to public life. Goodwin is a renowned presidential historian and Pulitzer Prize recipient; Amar is a professor of law and political science at Yale University and author of Born Equal: Remaking America’s Constitution, 1840–1920.

Akhil Reed Amar

Akhil Reed Amar (Harold Shapiro)

“We are delighted to have two of the sharpest observers of the American political experience on hand to lead this year’s edition of ‘What the Constitution Means to Us,’” said Professor of Political Science Jonathan Laurence, director of the Clough Center. “Over the past several years, the campus conversation has been enriched by the contributions of dozens of students, faculty, and guest speakers who have shared their views with us through this event and the oral histories we publish on the Clough Center website.”

This year’s event is particularly timely, as discussions over constitutional interpretation continue to play a significant role in American politics and society. The evening will host an array of conversations, debates, and reflections aimed at encouraging thoughts and answers to questions such as, “How should we look at the Constitution?” and “Should the Constitution be amended again?”

The Constitution has long served as a source of both hope and controversy, say event organizers, and the reflections that take place each year will serve as a historical record of how people understood the Constitution’s laws and framework at different moments in history, and how they endured despite societal challenges.

The program is free and open to the public with registration at the event website. 

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