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Related Sessions

Keynote Track

400 Years of Black History

Crosscut Festival 2021
Wed May 5, 2021 | 5:00pm

The tragic and triumphant four-hundred-year history of Black American experience. 

Black man with long, thin dreadlocks pulled back into a low ponytail, wearing a checked button-down shirt and grey blazer shits at a table covered with a cream tablecloth against a grey background
Black woman wearing glasses with long, dark braids with a few blonde braids in front smiles at the camera. She is wearing a dark blazer and her background is the inside of a living room
A brown-skinned woman with long dark hair wearing an orange pantsuit sits on a white seat with her arms and legs crossed and smiles at the camera.
Featuring: Dr. Ibram X. Kendi, Dr. Keisha N. Blain, Soledad O'Brien
Keynote Track

The End of American Exceptionalism

Crosscut Festival 2021
Thu May 6, 2021 | 6:00pm

How do we navigate America's toughest challenges with more than just military might?

White man with mostly white short hair wearing a white button-down, dark tie and suit jacket against a grey background
White woman with straight, shoulder-length brown hair wearing a dark blazer over a white shirt with beaded necklace and orange lanyard stands smiling at the camera. There is an outdoor, formal government celebration in another country taking place in the background
Featuring: Robert M. Gates, Mary Kay Magistad
Keynote Track

Madam Speaker

Crosscut Festival 2021
Fri May 7, 2021 | 6:00pm

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and PBS Newshour anchor Judy Woodruff discuss current issues. 

Older white woman with short, brown hear in a bob style cut wearing silver earrings, a white shirt and dark pink blazer against the backdrop of the National Mall in Washington, DC. The Washington memorial is visible.
woodruff
Featuring: Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Judy Woodruff
Keynote Track

A Reason for Hope

Crosscut Festival 2021
Sat May 8, 2021 | 11:00am

Dr. Jane Goodall discusses conservation and relationship between humans and animals. 

Older white woman with long, white hair pulled back into a low ponytail wears a red turtleneck, an arrow pendant necklace and is casually reclined sideways against the back of a green couch.
White woman with shoulder-length, straight auburn hair wearing a burnt-orange sleeveless turtleneck and gold bracelets has her arms crossed and smiles at the camera against a light grey background.
Featuring: Dr. Jane Goodall, Katharine Wilkinson

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About the Festival

The Crosscut Ideas Festival is a celebration of big ideas and a gathering for bold thinkers. Newsmakers, changemakers and innovators come together to take a fresh look at the biggest issues of our time. Over one week, the Crosscut Ideas Festival hosts fireside conversations and panels, meetups, art installations, workshops, and interactive experiences.

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headliners gala

Celebrate the best of PNW community and culture while supporting public media. Enjoy a night of entertainment with a culinary tour of the region curated by premier chefs and restaurateurs, Hear from The Daily host Michael Barbaro, and bid on a unique items in a PBS and Northwest-themed auction.

More about the Gala