All points of view are sought and diversity of topics is a priority.
We hope you will become part of the discourse and join us for the 2022 Season.
Check out the 2022 lineup below! There are a limited number of series subscriptions available through the Lesher Center Ticket Office. Consider subscribing to ensure your space at all eight appearances. Individual tickets may become available about a month before each appearance.
LeVar Burton
LeVar Burton launched his acting career while still a student at the University of Southern California. Cast in the groundbreaking role of Kunta Kinte in the landmark television series Roots, at 19 he found himself on the cover of Time magazine. A seemingly impossible act to follow, Burton managed to do so in dramatic fashion, achieving further global acclaim as Chief Engineer Geordi La Forge in the iconic Star Trek: The Next Generation television series and feature films. But it has been his role as host and executive producer of the beloved PBS children’s series Reading Rainbow that he is most proud of. Airing from 1983 to 2009, it was not only one of the longest-running children’s television shows in history, but also one of the most acclaimed, earning over 200 awards including multiple Emmys and a Peabody. He is also the host and executive producer of the television game show Trivial Pursuit.
For tickets, please visit lesherartscenter.org/events
November 8th Nonprofit Partner: Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano
An astounding 1 in 6 residents turn to the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano for emergency and supplemental food. Many of our neighbors are unable to make ends meet and the Food Bank helps them cover one of life’s basic needs—nutritious food. We strive to serve all people experiencing hunger or food insecurity in Solano and Contra Costa counties and commit to never turn anyone away.
Through their partnership with Feeding America, a nonprofit network of 200 food banks and the nation’s largest domestic hunger-relief organization, Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano also lends support to hunger-fighting organizations in 18 Northern California counties.
Nikole Hannah-Jones
Nikole Hannah-Jones is the Pulitzer Prize-winning creator of the 1619 Project, a staff writer at The New York Times Magazine, and a recipient of a MacArthur Fellowship, known as the Genius grant. She is the Knight Chair of Race and Journalism at Howard University, where she is founding the Center for Journalism & Democracy.
Ruben Navarrette
A leading expert on Latino issues, Navarrette writes one of the top 20 most read columns in the U.S. and is the author of A Darker Shade of Crimson: Odyssey of a Harvard Chicano. He writes and speaks on demographics, immigration, culture and politics.
Adam Steltzner
As Chief Engineer of the Mars 2020 Mission, Adam leads the NASA-JPL team that defied odds by launching and landing the Mars Rover Perseverance amid the global COVID pandemic. Steltzner previously led an A-team of engineers that invented and created the ingenious landing system that spectacularly placed the Rover Curiosity on Mars in 2012. He speaks on how collaborative cultures and leadership fuel performance.
Dr. Leana Wen
Dr. Leana Wen is Visiting Professor of Health Policy and Management, Milken Institute School of Public Health, George Washington University
Mo Rocca
Humorist, journalist, and actor Mo Rocca is best known for his offbeat news reports and satirical commentary. Currently a correspondent for CBS Sunday Morning, Rocca is also the host of CBS’s series The Henry Ford’s Innovation Nation. Mo is also a frequent panelist on NPR’s hit quiz show Wait, Wait…Don’t Tell Me!, host of the highly rated Mobituaries podcast and author of the corresponding book also titled Mobituaries.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, a six-time NBA champion and the league’s only 6x MVP. Currently, he serves as the chairman of his Skyhook Foundation whose mission is to “Give Kids a Shot That Can’t be Blocked” by bringing educational STEM opportunities to underserved communities.
David Axelrod and Karl Rove
David Axelrod is a former senior advisor to President Barack Obama and currently serves as the director of the University of Chicago's Institute of Politics. Karl Rove is a foremost conservative commentator & strategist.
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