On the next Fiat Lux Redux, April 29, at 9 AM, part one of a conversation between historian and political commentator Heather Cox Richardson and UC Berkeley professor of law and history Dylan Penningroth about the reshaping of the United States’ two major political parties. Part Two of this wide-ranging conversation will air on April 13 at 9 AM. The event was part of the Charles M. and Martha Hitchcock Lectures Series from the Graduate Council and the Graduate Division at UC Berkeley and took place at a sold-out Zellerbach Hall on February 26, 2025.
Richardson is a professor of 19th century American history at Boston College and a daily chronicler of today’s political landscape to millions of subscribing readers in her nightly Substack newsletter, Letters from an American. She has written for the Washington Post, the New York Times, and the Guardian, and is the author, most recently, of the best-selling book Democracy Awakening: Notes on the State of America.
Penningroth is the author of the award-winning Before the Movement: The Hidden History of Black Civil Rights. He serves as Associate Dean of the Program in Jurisprudence and Social Policy at the UC Berkeley Law School where his scholarship focuses on African American and legal history.
Fiat Lux Redux presents previously aired lectures, conversations, and podcasts originating on the campus of UC Berkeley every other Tuesday from 9am to 9:30am. These often-lengthy original programs have been edited to a 30-minute format by experienced KALX producers. The show’s name, Latin for “Let there be light”, is a reference to the University of California’s motto, which is also Fiat Lux. The show’s goal is to provide listeners with a window into the intellectual and cultural life of UC Berkeley and to showcase the wide range of subjects and diversity of thought and ideas that are present at UC Berkeley.
This episode of Fiat Lux Redux was edited by Paula Burch. If you have questions or comments about Fiat Lux Redux, contact lisa.katovich@gmail.com.
