The Atlantic Presents The Future of Democracy at SXSW: Nancy Pelosi, Chris Sununu, Brad Raffensperger, Janai Nelson & Francisco Aguilar
As part of SXSW 2023, The Atlantic is announcing a full day of interviews on Sunday, March 12, that will bring elected officials and other national leaders to the festival for conversations about the future of democracy.
The official SXSW sessions, produced by The Atlantic and led by its journalists, will focus on the state of democracy in America and around the world; the evolution of the nation’s political parties; challenges to voting rights and the urgent need to ensure free and fair elections; civil rights; and the state of immigration. Sessions during The Future of Democracy event will feature Nancy Pelosi, Chris Sununu, Brad Raffensperger, Janai Nelson, Francisco Aguilar, and more.
In recent years, The Atlantic has led the way in covering the fragility of democracy at home and globally, the rise of authoritarianism and extremism, and the related crises of disinformation and misinformation. During the day’s events, The Atlantic will also preview a forthcoming podcast, Holy Week, hosted by Vann R. Newkirk II, exploring the uprisings that followed the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. in 1968, and how those seven days in America diverted the course of a social revolution; and will discuss its April 2023 cover story by executive editor Adrienne LaFrance. Both Newkirk and LaFrance are also leading sessions at SXSW.
Additionally, on March 8, staff writer Adam Harris is leading a SXSW EDU keynote interview with Ruth Simmons, president at Prairie View A&M University.
Explore The Atlantic’s SXSW speakers and schedule below. All sessions will take place at The Line Hotel Austin (2nd Floor), and require a SXSW Badge to attend.
The Future of Democracy Schedule
Sunday, March 12 | 10am–5pm | The Line Hotel Austin
10am | The Future of Global Democracy
Nancy Pelosi, Speaker Emerita of the U.S. House of Representatives, with Adrienne LaFrance, Executive Editor, The Atlantic
11:30am | The Future of Elections
Francisco Aguilar, Secretary of State, Nevada and Brad Raffensperger, Secretary of State, Georgia, with Andrea Valdez, Managing Editor, The Atlantic
1pm | The Future of American Conservatism
Chris Sununu, Governor of New Hampshire with Evan Smith, Senior Advisor, Emerson Collective
2:30pm | The Future of the Civil Rights Movement
Hasan Jeffries, Associate Professor, The Ohio State University and Janai Nelson, President and Director-Counsel, Legal Defense Fund (LDF), with Vann R. Newkirk II, Senior Editor, The Atlantic
4pm | The Future of Immigration Reform
Representative Tony Gonzales of Texas and Oscar Leeser, Mayor of El Paso, Texas, with Cailtin Dickerson, Staff Writer, The Atlantic
Join Us at SXSW 2023
Get ready to celebrate the convergence of the tech, film, and music industries across a variety of programming formats and special events from March 10-19. Don't miss your last chance to save off the walk-up rate when you register by March 4 at 11:59pm PT for SXSW 2023! Dive into the SXSW Schedule to browse all confirmed programming and stay tuned for more announcements in the event lead up.
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03/2/2023