OLLI @Berkeley

Session 1 of our summer term starts on Tuesday, June 1, which means now is the time to sign up if you haven't yet. Explore powerful documentaries, the stories behind the works of Bay Area Black artists, the voices of realism in world politics, China's emissions policies, the greatest symphonies of the 20th century, and so much more. Browse around > https://olli.berkeley.edu/programs/courses

For centuries, Muslims and Jews have interacted and influenced each other through poetic dueling, storytelling and, yes, joking. Join UC Berkeley's Sarah Levin for a fascinating look at this rarely examined framework used to address boundaries, differences and shared cultural experiences. Course starts June 3. More: https://olli.berkeley.edu//jewish-muslim-cultural-encounte

We're excited to welcome Mark Levine, a retired director of the Environmental Division at Lawrence Berkeley Lab, along with a who's-who of guest speakers for a fascinating and (we suspect) surprising look at China's decades-long push to tackle emissions and what it portends for the future. Class starts Wednesday, June 2. > https://olli.berkeley.edu/programs//china-and-co2-emissions

Aaaaaaand ... that's a wrap! Our spring classes have come to a close. A big tip of the hat to our members for (as always) diving into such rich and varied topics with great enthusiasm, to our faculty and guest speakers for bringing those topics to life, and to our tech team (hey, Max, LaeCharles and Rob) for keeping Zoom zipping along. Thank you, all!

Seems a lot of people are hungry to (virtually) hang out in the kitchen of chef and cookbook author Linda Carucci as she works her magic with summer produce. Great recipes and conversation await on Mondays in June. Join the fun and dig in! >

This year more than any in recent memory gives us reason and cause to reflect on the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. It is a legacy of unremitting struggle for justice and a commitment to confront racism and racist structures of power. Dr. King's belief in the power of solidarity and the necessity of action is a bracing reminder that we all have much more work to do. OLLI wishes you well today, and thanks all whose work is animated by Dr. King's vision.

One of the benefits of being an OLLI @Berkeley member is the opportunity to participate in events just for you. More than 300 members are joining us tomorrow for a member-only town hall Siege of the Capitol facilitated by UC Berkeley professor Darren Zook. We'll grapple with the attack last week, everything that's happened since, and what it means for the future. Bracing, open and clarifying conversations are what makes OLLI @Berkeley, OLLI @Berkeley ... all year round. Learn about membership > https://olli.berkeley.edu/member-benefits-types

Learn for the joy of it in interactive online classes taught by UC Berkeley faculty and other scholars. Explore groundbreaking documentaries, the politics of extremism, 20th century Black American women writers, the resetting of the EPA, India's rise in global politics, and much more. Our winter term starts Jan. 19! Dive in and register > https://olli.berkeley.edu/programs/courses

Seems an apt time to mention our upcoming course "Conspiracy Theory in Modern History" a riveting look at the contexts of conspiracies over time and the ultimate understanding of them as opportunistic infections. The course is taught by acclaimed Afghan-American author Tamim Ansary. Learn more > https://olli.berkeley.edu//conspiracy-theory-modern-history

So pleased to be joined this winter by Vasundhara Sirnate a political scientist and journalist who researches counterinsurgency in South Asia, insurgent group dynamics in India, gender justice, and societal violence. She is a powerful voice and will provide great perspective on India's rise in global politics. > https://www.olli.berkeley.edu//tempered-ambition-indias-ri

Join Annice Jacoby on an exploration of the works of both highly celebrated and deliberately anonymous artists who shine as catalysts, visionaries, provocateurs, healers and tricksters. Class starts Jan. 19. Learn more and register > https://olli.berkeley.edu/programs/courses/art-agency

The works of American Black women writers are profound, illuminating, incisive, and too often overlooked. Join us for a course taught by one of our most popular faculty members, Stephanie Wells, that explores many greats, from Zora Neale Hurston to Toni Morrison. Learn more and register > https://olli.berkeley.edu//20th-century-african-american-w

What can we say other than we adore Stephanie Wells, and our members do, too. Her OLLI courses are always (always) packed, and for good reason. Her lectures are insightful and exhilarating ... the way great literature classes should be. In her upcoming course, she'll pull intersectional threads that run through the texts of writers such as Zora Neale Hurston and Toni Morrison and explore issues of racial identity, sexual identity, patriarchal culture, and cultural constructions of the American Black woman. Dive in and learn more: https://olli.berkeley.edu//20th-century-african-american-w

When Harry Chotiner taught his first class with us, he said he wanted it to feel like friends sharing a conversation about a great film they’d just seen. Given the rave reviews he and his course received (think five stars, two thumbs up, hundreds of cheering OLLI members) it's safe to say he succeeded. If you're in the mood for great discussions about great films plus tips on what to watch for learn more and register here > https://olli.berkeley.edu/programs/courses/diving-movies

Join us for our Winter Showcase on Tuesday, Nov. 17, at 10 AM (PT) to hear directly from faculty about their upcoming live, interactive online courses, from "Extreme Politics: Radicals, Revolutionaries, and Terrorists" to "Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin: Psychedelic Trailblazers." Throw in the state of Indian politics, a behind-the-scenes look at the work of the EPA, 20th century African American writers, and much more, and what you have is a learning experience like no other. Winter term starts Jan. 19, but registration is open now. RSVP here for the link to attend and invite family and friends to join you > https://olli.berkeley.edu/events/winter-showcase-all-welcome

All of us at OLLI @Berkeley wish all of you good health, grateful moments and happy gatherings ahead.

Join us Friday at 10:30 AM (PT) for a talk by Charles Henry, Professor Emeritus of African American Studies at UC Berkeley, who'll discuss reparations and why they're a solution. All welcome. Learn more and register here > https://olli.berkeley.edu//americas-unfinished-work-charle

Thank you to all of the OLLI members and Berkeley undergrads who participated in our intergenerational dialogue today focused on mental health and emotional well-being. What a moving and candid exchange of perspectives! We have so much to learn from one another.

Explore the stories, triumphs and challenges of the EPA as shared by more than a dozen current and former regional managers and administrators in "EPA: 2021 & Beyond" an insider's look at the past and future of an agency dedicated to protecting human health and the environment. Learn more > https://olli.berkeley.edu/progr/courses/epa-2021-and-beyond

Join us Friday, Oct. 23, 10:30 AM (PT) for a talk by Charles Henry, Professor Emeritus of African American Studies at UC Berkeley who'll discuss why reparations are gaining mainstream support and why he believes they're a solution. Learn more & RSVP > https://olli.berkeley.edu//americas-unfinished-work-charle

Today's the day! We've just opened registration for our winter term which is packed with new and exciting courses, from "The EPA: 2021 and Beyond" to "Brazilian Music & Culture." There's so much to explore and discover > https://olli.berkeley.edu/programs/courses

Join us Friday at 10:30 AM (PT) for a talk by Berkeley Law professor Khiara Bridges who'll discuss critical race theory and the intersection of race, class and reproductive rights. Cal professor Michael Omi, co-author of the seminal book, Racial Reparations in the United States, will introduce Dr. Bridges and moderate the discussion. RSVP for the link: https://olli.berkeley.edu//americas-unfinished-work-khiara

"We have to vote and we have to have political consequences for people who don't act on climate change," said Ken Alex, Director of Project Climate at the Center for Law, Energy & the Environment (CLEE) at UC Berkeley during his OLLI talk today. He was responding to a question about what individuals can do to make a positive difference. Thank you, Ken and CLEE, for your critical and visionary work!

Happening tomorrow at 10:30 AM (PT): Ken Alex, Director of Project Climate at the Center for Law, Energy & the Environment at Berkeley Law will give a (very timely!) talk about strategies for moving climate solutions forward faster. Open and free to all. RSVP and learn more at https://www.olli.berkeley.edu//olli-lectures-ken-alex-movi

Democracies are there until they are not our involvement is more important now than it’s ever been before is how Berkeley Law Dean Erwin Chemerinsky just concluded his livestream OLLI class today. Thank you, Dean Chemerinsky, for sharing your thoughts on the future of the court and what can be done to impact it.

We're halfway through the first week of term, and we want to take a moment to say "thank you!" to our amazing faculty and the many 100's of members who've Zoomed in to join them. There's still time sign up even if you missed the first class, because most are recorded. olli.berkeley.edu

Today's the first day of our term, but there's still time to sign up for classes ... including for our Cutting Edge Issues in Law course featuring a livestream talk and Q&A with Berkeley Law Dean Erwin Chemerinsky this Friday who plans to discuss the recent SCOTUS term and, likely, what the passing of Ruth Bader Ginsberg means for the court.

Our fall term starts Sept. 21. (Which is another way of saying Monday!) Join us for The Politics of Everything, Why Shakespeare Matters Today, Global Lens, The Many Faces of Abraham Lincoln, The Use (and Misuse) of the American Military, and so much more. Register at olli.berkeley.edu.