September 23: Eternal Vigilance – Racial Discrimination … So Much Left to Do. |

An active public interest lawyer since 1977, William Quigley has served as counsel to public interest organizations on issues ranging from Hurricane Katrina social justice issues, voting rights, public housing, death penalty, living wage, educational reform, civil liberties, constitutional rights and civil disobedience.

Domestic Decisions is here (one of the nicest ways to get a lot smarter) |

For the past 11 years, the Mid-North Shepherd’s Center has organized an excellent series of lectures/discussions addressing the urgent issues facing Indianapolis, Indiana, and the country. Members of the Shepherd’s Center choose the topics they think demand attention, recruit the speakers, get the word out, and provide a big audience. The series is free, open to all.

September 23-24: Josiah Royce Conference |

This conference, by gathering together scholars and students of Royce’s philosophy, will strengthen the Roycean scholarly community, disseminate the latest scholarship, and help publicize the important work being done on the campus of IUPUI at the Institute for American Thought, where the planning and publication of the critical edition of the Josiah Royce papers will occur. This is an opportunity for people most interested in Royce scholarship to visit the location of the next phase of Royce publication.

September 22-24: Butler presents “An Evening of the Kathakali” |

Visiting International Theatre Artist (VITA) Kunju Vasudevan Namboodiripad directs and performs the Kathakali, the classical dance/drama of Kerela, India. Skilled artists Aneesh and Bahsi will assist Namboodiripad in this visually exciting and musically exquisite work rarely seen in the United States.

September 22: Angela Brown presents “Opera From a Sistah’s Point of View” |

Ms. Angela Brown is an Indianapolis native known for her outrageous vocal range and incredible stage presence. A world renowned opera singer, she has created an incredible live concert called “Opera…from a Sistah’s Point of View.”

September 22: Artist Mary Miss on the City As Living Laboratory |

New York-based artist Mary Miss shares her latest city-wide project, commissioned by the IMA: FLOW (Can You See the River)? FLOW includes a series of installations along a six mile stretch of the White River between the IMA and the center of Indianapolis, a mobile Raindrop app, an interactive website and the FLOW: White River Festival.

September 22: See the film “Prince among Slaves” and discuss the legacy of enslaved Muslims in America |

Watch an award winning documentary that chronicles the life of Abdul Rahman, a young African Muslim prince who was enslaved in the U.S. in 1788 and managed to regain his freedom many years later. One of th econsultants on the film was IUPUI history professor Edward Curtis, author of several books about the history of Islam in the US. Watch the movie, talk with Prof. Curtis, enjoy a nice meal. Change your perceptions of American history.

September 22: Prohibition in Indiana |

Indiana has a rich brewery and winery history. Grapes planted in Vevay were the basis for the first successful commercial wine production in the U.S. Indiana was the tenth largest grape producing state in the country, however, the Hoosier State was on the forefront of prohibition and over two-thirds of Indiana counties were “dry-counties”. Learn the forces that led Hoosiers to accept the ban.

September 21: Discuss the future of democracy in Iran with Trita Parsi and the ICWA |

Trita Parsi is founder and president of the National Iranian American Council and an expert on US-Iranian relations, Iranian politics, and the balance of power in the Middle East.

September 21: Poet Robert Haas at Butler |

Former U.S. poet laureate Robert Hass is one of contemporary poetry’s most celebrated and widely read voices. His first collection, Field Guide (1973), won the Yale Series of Younger Poets Award and established him as an important American poet. He confirmed his ability with Praise (1979), which won the William Carlos Williams Award. In 1984, Hass published Twentieth Century Pleasures: Prose on Poetry, a collection of previously published essays and reviews.

September 21: Celebrate the International Day of Peace with Sacred Music of the Middle East |

Arab, Jewish and Christian artists come together to unite the sacred musical traditions of Judaism, Sufism (Islamic mystical tradition) and the Christian Armenian Church. Featuring the stunning Arabic singer Najwa Gibran, Armenian woodwind master Norik Manoukian, master Qawwali singer Sukhawat Ali Khan and special guest dancer Jamilla Ali.

September 21: Rethink waste and loss when you hear Nigerian artist Nnenna Okore |

IUPUI will be the location for an exhibit of work by the Nigerian artist Nnenna Okore from September 30-November 12. Hear Okore talk about her work. Okore reuses discarded materials in textured layers to create unique artworks. She has become emblematic of the millions of Nigerians who live a life abroad, forced to find an identity between the ties of their origin and new cultural influences in their host country.

Where the Cool Kids Will Be – Provocate’s Picks for September 19-25 |

Provocate’s Picks, your recommendations for the most thought-provoking and stimulating events for the days ahead … we’re back! Our view is that you can attend many great events every week, in fact many great events every day. But you want to attend the great music event that makes you want to grab the person sitting next to you after the performance and say “Wasn’t that amazing!” You want to see a play that makes you stop and think quietly after it’s over. You want to listen to a talk that makes you want to talk about the issues discussed. These are our choices. Let us know what you think.

September 21: Jane Schultz reads from her book about Civil War nursing |

Jane Schultz, Professor of English at the IUPUI School of Liberal Arts, will read from her book This Birth Place of Souls: The Civil War Nursing Diary of Harriet Eaton (Oxford University Press, 2010). Edited and with an extensive introduction by Jane E. Schultz, the uncensored nursing diary by a female relief worker is a rarity among medical accounts of the war. Jane Schultz offers us a fascinating snapshot of one nurse’s experience.

September 21: History of Indianapolis Breweries Prior to Prohibition, 1834 – 1919 |

Discover Indianapolis’s oldest beers and breweries. Learn the history of Indianapolis’s oldest breweries before Prohibition forced their doors closed. The Indianapolis Brewing Company, American Brewing Company, Home Brewing Company, and the Capital City Brewing Company highlight the breweries discussed.

September 20: Provocate favorite Yuval Ron at JCC |

The JCC, in partnership with the International Interfaith Initiative, welcomes the Yuval Ron Ensemble for a stunning musical performance with guest dancer, Ana Lucia Cavalcante.

September 20: African Independent Churches Today |

Independent churches in Africa have been at the leading edge of religious change on that continent during the last century. The first seminar explores this movement with a focus on the Kimbanguist Church, one of the largest churches in Africa, with the grandson of its founder.

September 20: We Never Danced to Cheek — The Young Kurt Vonnegut in Indianapolis and Beyond |

Author Majie Alford Failey recounts her memories of Kurt Vonnegut and autographs her new book, We Never Danced Cheek to Cheek: The Young Kurt Vonnegut in Indianapolis and Beyond.

September 19: Penn Jillette (Teller-less) — “God, No!” |

In his new book God, No!,the outspoken half of famous magic duo Penn & Teller presents an uproarious, atheist reinterpretation of the Ten Commandments.

Thought behind the East African fundraiser September 24 |

Want to know some of the thinking that goes on behind a great fundraising event? How to raise money? Who to give the money to? How to make sure it doesn’t “leak” before getting to intended recipients? How to encourage donors to become more actively involved even after the eevent is over?