Robert N. Bellah Lecture on Public Life Featuring Dr. Eddie S. Glaude, Jr. (In-Person)

Dr. Eddie S. Glaude, Jr., James S. McDonnell Distinguished University Professor in African American Studies at Princeton University, will deliver the Robert N. Bellah Lecture at the Graduate Theological Union on October 8, 2026. One of the nation's most prominent scholars, Dr. Glaude is an educator, author, political commentator, and public intellectual who examines the complex dynamics of the American experience. 

His writings, including Democracy in Black: How Race Still Enslaves the American Soul, In a Shade of Blue: Pragmatism and the Politics of Black America, and his New York Times bestseller, Begin Again: James Baldwin's America and Its Urgent Lessons for our Own, take an exhaustive look at Black communities, the difficulties of race in the United States, and the challenges we face as a democracy. His latest book, We Are The Leaders We Have Been Looking For is a radical and passionate call for everyday people to take responsibility for saving democracy. 

Glaude is the James S. McDonnell Distinguished University Professor in African American Studies at Princeton University. He is also on the Morehouse College Board of Trustees. He frequently appears in the media as an MSNBC contributor on programs like Morning Joe and Deadline Whitehouse with Nicolle Wallace. Glaude is a native of Moss Point, Mississippi.

The Bellah Legacy Group partnered with the GTU to create this annual lecture designed to preserve, build on, sustain, and promote awareness of the corpus and legacy of Robert N. Bellah’s work within a contemporary context.