Political Philosophy

Come learn how money really works. We’ll cover how to grow it, protect it, get out of debt, and use smart retirement and infinite banking strategies to build long-term security.

**\*\*Please note we are starting 15 minutes early because of a conflict with the room at 2:45 pm.\*\*** Embarking on an exploration of African philosophy before the modern era immediately raises surprising questions of scope, method, and interpretation. We might think we know what we mean by the term “Africa,” but if we are referring to the continent, then we have to ask questions such as: should we start our investigation with Saint Augustine? He was, after all, ethnically an African Berber. Yet it seems obvious that he fits more comfortably into the European philosophical tradition. What about the thought of ancient Egypt, wherefrom we can trace an influence on the Greeks, especially regarding mathematics? Moreover, both Christianity and Islam extended their reach into Africa. When we encounter their influence, should we treat them as alien interventions, or as ways of thinking that integrated into African cultures? Methodological problems emerge because much of the wisdom traditions of Africa were never recorded in writing but were passed down orally across generations. Can any of the ideas of those traditions be recovered? If so, is there any way of understanding them on their own terms, or do they inevitably become polluted by the modern, and often colonial, interpretations through which they are viewed? Indeed, examining African philosophy raises definitional questions: should we consider philosophy to be something done by the elite scholars and sages of a society, or should it refer to the wider worldview of the culture itself, as its people grapple with questions of being, knowledge, and the best ways to live together? Furthermore, if we don’t think of Africa as a mere landmass, but in terms of culture, then we must ask: is there a singular African culture? While scholars sometimes sought for a monolithically “African” philosophy in the past, it seems clear that there are a diversity of cultural and philosophical traditions that must be accounted for. For our purposes, we will leave aside Augustine (whom we previously addressed in detail as part of the Greco-Roman canon) and examine three areas of African philosophy for which contemporary scholars have found enough material to extensively analyze. First, due to the existence of a written record, the thought of ancient Egypt and its sages are available to us to some degree. We will read some secondary scholarship that can give us at least a fragmentary look into a world far removed from ours that seems very different, yet at the same time familiar. Next, the Ethiopian thinker Zera Yacob and his protege Walda Heywat wrote their “Hatatas,” or inquiries, in the 1500s, and demonstrated that serious philosophical thinking was occurring in Africa under an education system that was quite different from the European one. At the same time their thought was influenced by Christianity and its disputes with indigenous traditions, Islam, and Judaism. Yacob recorded the interesting story of his life and in the process asked deep questions about his relationship to his deity and the world, as well as the best way to live. His student Heywat then followed in his footsteps, providing his own philosophical take on perennial questions. Finally, we will read additional secondary literature on a variety of African philosophical topics, including sage philosophy, oral philosophy, what it means to be a person, and the concept of Ubuntu. This month we will read *[The Hatata Inquiries](https://www.amazon.com/Hatata-Inquiries-Seventeenth-Century-Philosophy-Responsibilities/dp/3112214110)*, by Zera Yacob and Walda Heywat, which is available in paperback on Amazon. Please read pages 1-8 and 71-160. The front matter (maps and figures, chronology, histories of the manuscripts) is also of interest. Additionally, please read the following chapters in *[Africana Philosophy from Ancient Egypt to the Nineteenth Centur](https://www.amazon.com/Africana-Philosophy-Ancient-Nineteenth-Century-ebook/dp/B0F1LLX3WB)y*: 2, 4, 5, 6, 12, 15, 16, 17, and 20. Each chapter is short, and they total about 90 pages of reading. Chapters 8, 9, 10, and 18 are also informative, but optional. This text is available in print and for Kindle on Amazon. Since we are dealing with pre-modern African philosophy in this session, we will delay exploring philosophy among the African diaspora or modern African thinkers until later meetings. **Secondary Resources** *Wikipedia:* [Zera Yacob](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zera_Yacob_%28philosopher%29) [Walda Heywat](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walda_Heywat) [African Philosophy](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/African_philosophy) *Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy:* [Africana Philosophy (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy)](https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/africana/) [African Sage Philosophy (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy)](https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/african-sage/) [Akan Philosophy of the Person (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy)](https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/akan-person/)

Socrates Café are gatherings around the world where people from different backgrounds get together and exchange philosophical perspectives based on their experiences, using the Socratic Method of inquiry (asking and answering questions). Today, there are hundreds of such gatherings, coordinated by volunteers, worldwide. Though this may be considered a "philosophy" group, there are no rules as to what is discussed. Usually, the topics revolve around social concerns, morality, and the first principles of things. Please post any questions you would like the group to consider on the meetup event's page; in the comments section. Several days before the meetup I will post a link to a voting form in the comments section, and everyone can vote on their preferred questions. The questions with the highest and second highest number of votes will be discussed. Hope to see you there! -Brian

Let’s run all together on Jan 17th for healthy tummies and happy smiles! Get your sneakers ready for the 4th Annual WOŚP Run in Washington, DC! Join the Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity on Saturday, January 17, 2026, as we run to support pediatric healthcare! Whether you're a sprinter or a stroller-pusher, let’s paint the capital red with our hearts! Where: 325 N Manchester St, Arlington, VA When: Saturday, Jan 17, 2026, 2p Let's show the world how DC plays with the Orchestra! Biegnijmy wszyscy razem 17 stycznia dla zdrowych brzuszków i radosnych uśmiechów! Szykujcie adidasy na 4. Bieg WOŚP w Waszyngtonie! Już w sobotę, 17 stycznia 2026, gramy razem z Wielką Orkiestrą Świątecznej Pomocy, zbierając fundusze na leczenie chorób u dzieci! Nieważne, czy jesteś maratończykiem, czy spacerowiczem – rozgrzejmy stolicę USA naszymi gorącymi sercami! Gdzie: 325 N Manchester St, Arlington, VA Kiedy: Sobota, 17 stycznia 2026, godz.14:00 For more information about the charity, please visit [https://en.wosp.org.pl/](https://en.wosp.org.pl/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAYnJpZBExM3FpUnFyRHdnWHFkM2U4UXNydGMGYXBwX2lkEDIyMjAzOTE3ODgyMDA4OTIAAR5oFenDGPALrhiVcaMNdNGPNV8PiD3nMT_tcyJARF8KFr84KsFvQYNorNQSuQ_aem_x_P2u-1S_J2yl1r9IAZ-qQ)

**Looking to** \- Help out neighbors in the DC area? \- Support a secular charity? \- Connect with other atheists and humanists? Join Atheists Helping the Homeless DC at our monthly distribution event! Atheists Helping the Homeless is a 501(c)(3) charity that distributes items like backpacks, socks, gloves, and toiletries to people in need throughout the Washington, DC region. We meet up on the second Saturday of every month outside of a homeless shelter in Silver Spring, MD, called Progress Place, and pass out whatever items we have to whoever is there. Each month we serve between 60 - 100 people. Afterwards, we usually go out for breakfast. Our goal is to provide a way for people to help each other without affiliating with a religion. Our method is to go straight to those in need, and create a welcoming and fun atmosphere to effectively create an environment where secular community can grow and thrive. If this sounds fun, see you there!

A Pathfinder Society Scenario designed for levels 1–4 (subtiers 1–2 and 3–4). Swindler, rogue, and occasional Pathfinder ally Guaril Karela has approached the Society with an opportunity that Valais Durant, the leader of the Society's Radiant Oath faction, can't refuse. Guaril has been charging refugees to sneak them out of Xin Edasseril, a city ruled by the Runelord of Envy, and now it looks like Guaril won't be able to fulfill his contracts. Society agents are charged with sneaking into the dangerous city and sneaking out with a handful of its citizens before their absence is noticed so that the Radiant Oath can help them find new lives beyond their current ruler's tyrannical reach. Written by: Lysle Kapp Scenario tags: Faction (Radiant Oath)

Higher Grounds – Del Ray is part of a growing network of gatherings where we create space for thoughtful, authentic dialogue about what matters most. Whether we’re exploring the nature of happiness, the challenges and possibilities of midlife, spirituality, culture, capitalism, parenting, or the role of art and travel in a meaningful life, every conversation is shaped by the people in the room. There’s no set leader or rigid agenda—just a shared commitment to listen as much as we speak. We start with brief introductions focused on what makes you *you* (not your LinkedIn bio), then dive straight into whatever is on people’s minds. The direction of each meetup emerges organically, making every event unique. MANDATORY: PLEASE REVIEW OUR COMMUNITY GUIDELINES IN THE GROUP DESCRIPTION. Everyone is expected to engage in respectful conversations and listen deeply as well as share. We have a zero tolerance policy of sexual harassment and hate speech. Come ready to share, reflect, and connect with others in Del Ray who are also seeking deeper conversations. **Suggested Questions: Life Stages & Transitions** 1. What did you think you'd have figured out by now that you're still completely winging? 2. When did you realize your parents' advice was for a world that no longer exists? 3. What are you finally old enough to stop pretending to care about? **Suggested Questions: Identity After the Roles** 1. Who are you when nobody needs anything from you? 2. What dream keeps resurfacing even though the "practical" time has passed? 3. How do you handle having the freedom you always said you wanted? **Suggested Questions: AI & Being Human** 1. What human experiences will AI never truly understand? 2. If machines handled all your have-to's, what would you actually do? 3. What becomes more precious as everything becomes automated? **Suggested Questions: Belief & Meaning** 1. What certainties have you given up, and what rushed in to fill that space? 2. How has knowing someone who died changed how you live? 3. What do you believe now that would shock your younger self? **Suggested Questions: The Modern Psyche** 1. What anxiety do you carry that previous generations didn't have? 2. Which of your survival strategies are you ready to retire? 3. What uncomfortable truth about happiness did it take you years to accept? **Suggested Questions: Work & Purpose** 1. When did you stop believing that your job would complete you? 2. What would you do for work if money and status weren't factors? 3. How has your definition of "making it" changed over the years? **Suggested Questions: Relationships & Connection** 1. What relationship dynamic do you keep recreating, and why? 2. When did you realize your parents were just people trying their best? 3. What kind of loneliness doesn't go away even when you're with others? **Suggested Questions: Time & Mortality** 1. What are you running out of time to say or do? 2. How differently do you spend your time knowing it's finite? 3. What will you regret not trying, even if you fail? **Suggested Questions: Society & Culture** 1. What social convention do you follow even though it makes no sense? 2. Which generation do you understand least, and what might you be missing? 3. What aspect of how we live now will seem insane in 20 years? **Suggested Questions: Personal Philosophy** 1. What rule for life did you create after learning something the hard way? 2. When did you stop believing that everyone else had it figured out? 3. What paradox about life have you learned to live with?

Greetings from the capital! Every Saturday at 7:30 PM, people from all walks of life — students, diplomats, travelers, locals — gather to unwind and connect. [[[Click this whatsapp groupchat link to join](https://chat.whatsapp.com/Gf89PPYe3RMAK6Z7SGf5or)]] Our age range is mostly 20s to 30s. If you enjoy discussing culture, politics, travel, or just want to practice a new language, this group is for you. A perfect blend of diversity and dialogue, right in the heart of D.C.

Open gaming at Panera! New players welcome. We have many games on hand or you can bring your own. We are happy to teach or learn one of yours.

Buddha’s teachings on the wisdom of realizing emptiness reveal how things actually exist. At present, due to deep-rooted ignorance, we perceive people and situations as existing independently from our mind and assign them fixed qualities — good or bad, attractive or unattractive. This mistaken view gives rise to emotional turmoil and the many problems that follow. Through meditating on emptiness, we discover that all things exist as mere appearances to mind. Understanding this frees us from grasping, allowing us to relate to our world with greater flexibility, peace, and joy — like recognizing we are dreaming and gaining control within the dream. In this course, Gen Demo will explain the second stage of Mahamudra from Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso’s Oral Instructions of Mahamudra and guide practical meditations on emptiness, showing how to apply this liberating wisdom in daily life. * **Cost**:$30/Financial Hardship: $15 Online: $30 Online Plus/General/Friend/Supporter: $15 Benefactors & Benefactor Plus: Free * Event Schedule Session 1: 1pm-2:15pm Session 2: 3pm-4:15pm Optional Wishfulfilling Jewel with tsog: 4:30pm-5:30pm **To Register: [Click Here](https://meditation-dc.org/event/the-wisdom-of-emptiness-discovering-the-true-nature-of-reality/)** * The Teacher  This course is taught by Gen Kelsang Demo. Gen Kelsang Demo is the US Midwestern National Spiritual Director and the Resident Teacher at the International Kadampa Retreat Center Grand Canyon. She has been a student of Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso Rinpoche for more than 29 years and has been teaching Kadampa Buddhism since 1998. She is also the former Resident Teacher at KMC DC. Gen Demo is deeply respected as a teacher and practitioner. She demonstrates a wealth of practical knowledge and provides clear and inspiring teachings for people of all levels of interest.

Reserve a spot for free on **[Eventbrite](https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1979193134945?aff=oddtdtcreator)** so we have an accurate guest count. Make new friends and meaningful new connections. Join us for the coffee shop gathering at **[as you are](https://asyouaredc.com/)**, a wonderful safe space in DC! Look for the Go Gay DC sign on one of the tables. We will be wearing name tags. This is a good event to attend if you like facilitated conversation. When you arrive, obtain a name tag, order on your own from the [menu](https://order.online/store/26244426?utm_source=sdk&visitorId=b5386c19b7fdf41e5742da7&pickup=true&redirected=true) if you wish and gather with about 10 LGBTQ+ folk around the sofa for relaxed conversation. Feel free to invite your friends to join you. **Metro Directions:** Be eco-friendly. Metro rides are capped at $2.50 on weekends, regardless of distance travelled. Eastern Market Metro (Blue/Orange/Silver lines) is only a few blocks away. The venue is where the Banana Cafe used to be. The area is generally considered safe. There is also **free street parking in DC on Sundays**. There is a free parking lot underneath the freeway overpass adjacent to the Marine Corps barracks. This event is being boosted by **[Go Gay DC](https://www.gogaydc.com)**[,](https://www.gogaydc.com) Metro Washington DC's inclusive LGBTQ+ community focused on friendship, leadership, and service. It reaches over 10K fabulous people and is growing fast. Visit [https://www.gogaydc.com](https://www.gogaydc.com) At this event you'll even get to meet **[TJ Flavell](https://www.linkedin.com/in/tjflavell/)**, Go Gay DC's founder. This event is a safe space for everyone under the rainbow. Go Gay DC is on social media: Join the Facebook Group [https://www.facebook.com/groups/GoGayDC](https://www.facebook.com/groups/GoGayDC) Like the Facebook Page [https://www.facebook.com/GoGayDC](https://www.facebook.com/GoGayDC) Follow on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/GoGayDC](https://www.instagram.com/GoGayDC) Follow on Threads [https://www.threads.com/@GoGayDC](https://www.threads.com/@GoGayDC?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAYnJpZBExZG1DTnM0VnJybG83U3FWcnNydGMGYXBwX2lkEDIyMjAzOTE3ODgyMDA4OTIAAR6DYjIHThPY00YK0dJfs6boxWhgU1OyzCNzCCt0uW6sjzSp6kJpEXoyvf5j6g_aem_3gSjPJmvC57T8kdbkMU1sw) Follow on Bluesky [https://gogaydc.bsky.social/](https://gogaydc.bsky.social/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAYnJpZBExZG1DTnM0VnJybG83U3FWcnNydGMGYXBwX2lkEDIyMjAzOTE3ODgyMDA4OTIAAR6DYjIHThPY00YK0dJfs6boxWhgU1OyzCNzCCt0uW6sjzSp6kJpEXoyvf5j6g_aem_3gSjPJmvC57T8kdbkMU1sw) Follow on X [https://www.x.com/GoGayDC](https://www.x.com/GoGayDC) Watch on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/GoGayDC](https://www.youtube.com/GoGayDC) LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/GoGayDC](https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/GoGayDC?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAYnJpZBExZG1DTnM0VnJybG83U3FWcnNydGMGYXBwX2lkEDIyMjAzOTE3ODgyMDA4OTIAAR765Xxf5t8wFzbCac74QNX3p0Bs2oT0drXZoOmLV63J8cURMl3ta5b8iP3ztg_aem_nSdndpxd5-hXJ8myNF2_vQ) Search tags: LGBT LGBTQ LGBTQI lesbian gay bisexual transgender queer nonbinary non-binary intersex

Our next event will be at For Five Coffee. It's bright and open, a great place to draw. It's also by Plaza Arts, for supplies! I will have a sketchbook and a meetup sign. I look forward to drawing with you soon. Photo by [Evan Wise](https://unsplash.com/@evanthewise?utm_content=creditCopyText&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=unsplash) on [Unsplash](https://unsplash.com/photos/a-cup-of-coffee-sitting-on-top-of-a-saucer-NFWaoPmPOpk?utm_content=creditCopyText&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=unsplash)

[Profs and Pints Northern Virginia](https://www.profsandpints.com/washingtondc) presents: **“Venezuela’s Future—and Ours,”** an analysis of how the Trump administration’s intervention in Venezuela will affect that nation, the U.S., and the rest of the world, with Ernesto Castañeda, Director of the Center for Latin American and Latino Studies and the Immigration Lab at American University. [Advance tickets: $13.50 plus sales tax and processing fees. Available at [https://www.ticketleap.events/tickets/profsandpints/nv-venezuela-future](https://www.ticketleap.events/tickets/profsandpints/nv-venezuela-future) .] On January 3rd, after a long military buildup, the United States used special forces to seize Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, from their residence in Caracas, Venezuela to stand trial here on criminal charges. The development marked a major turning point in our relationship with Venezuela and the rest of Latin America and raised a host of complex questions, not just for Venezuelans living inside and outside that country but for American citizens and other nations of the world. Coming to the stage to break down what all of this means is Ernesto Castañeda, a scholar of Latin America who has given several excellent Profs and Pints talks on immigration policy and has given dozens of interviews to media outlets around the world in the wake of the U.S. raid. In a talk offering informed perspective on the latest news developments, Professor Castañeda will discuss various theories about why the U.S. conducted the operation to get Maduro out of Venezuela. He’s put our nation’s current plans for Venezuela into context by touching on previous U.S. military interventions in Latin America and beyond. Professor Castañeda will look at the implications of recent events for U.S. politics and U.S. citizens and what such developments tell us about the balance of power in the United States. He’ll examine the distance between decisions made by the White House and public priorities, touching on how it all relates to our immigration policies and our views about peaceful protest and democracy. He’ll consider how the Venezuela raid and our actions since have altered relations between the U.S. and other nations and provide scenarios about what the future might hold. (Door: $17, or $15 with a student ID. Listed time is for doors. The talk starts 30 minutes later.) Image by Canva.

**In a time of division and isolation, come be part of the community that's rebuilding the town square, one table at a time.** In BreadBreakers, we use the common space of the dining table to have conversations where neighbors can **hear, be heard, and know one another.** If you're hungry for good discourse and deeper community, join us for a Community Dinner in Reston and help blaze the trail to a healthier, more connected society and democracy. Here’s how it works: For just two hours, multiple tables of people set aside the need to "win" and instead focus on sharing, listening, and connecting. Guided by experienced table hosts, we'll tell our stories, try to understand each other, and practice being in community with those with different views or backgrounds. **At this dinner, participants will get to choose between three different topics, including some current events.** Topics could range from the political, to the spiritual, to the philosophical, to the off-the-wall - but no matter which table you choose to sit at, you can be sure it'll be like no dinner conversation you've had before! You can also **suggest a topic** by emailing us at BreadBreakersInfo@gmail.com. Food will be provided for free. For those who wish to provide a donation to help fund BreadBreakers, you can [give here](https://pushpay.com/g/restorationrestonumc?fnd=pO6G-N7oO7FH7Mp1u-x6mA&fndv=Lock&r=No&lang=en&src=pcgl) or at the event. We'll have vegetarian and gluten-free options available. If you have any additional dietary restrictions (Celiac Disease, vegan, etc.) please let us know at BreadBreakersInfo@gmail.com so that we can implement the appropriate food handling procedures. **Join us, invite a friend, and be a part of the movement to mend our fractured society and normalize a better way of talking with one another.** BreadBreakers, an initiative by [Restoration United Methodist Church](https://restorationreston.org/breadbreakers) in Reston, VA, is a religiously inclusive community. All faiths and all stripes are welcomed. Our leadership, volunteer team, and community include people who attend Restoration and people who don't.

[Profs and Pints Northern Virginia](https://www.profsandpints.com/washingtondc) presents: **“The Life of Frankenstein,”** on the birth, evolution and impact of a tale of man-made monstrosity, with Bernard Welt, an emeritus professor of arts and humanities at George Washington University who frequently lectures on Frankenstein in literature, cinema, and culture. [Advance tickets: $13.50 plus sales tax and processing fees. Available at [https://www.ticketleap.events/tickets/profsandpints/nv-life-of-frankenstein](https://www.ticketleap.events/tickets/profsandpints/nv-life-of-frankenstein) .] Guillermo del Toro’s lush and lovingly produced film adaptation of Mary Shelley’s 1818 novel *Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus* is just the latest of many iterations of the story to capture the public’s imagination. People have watched Victor Frankenstein give life to his monster in numerous films, on television, and on stage, and even perform “Putting on the Ritz” with him thanks to the comic genius of Mel Brooks. Mary Shelley did not just tell a tale. She spawned the modern genre of speculative fiction and gave rise to a myth that would crop up in debates over nature versus nurture and other matters. Even today it stokes anxieties over the potential impacts of robotics, artificial intelligence, and genetic engineering, by evoking the image of a monster turning on its progenitor. Come gain a new appreciation of Mary Shelley’s creation with the help of Dr. Bernard Welt, who has studied the relationship between nightmares and the horror genre and is the author of *Mythomania: Fantasies, Fables, and Sheer Lies in Contemporary American Popular Art.* Dr. Welt will start by telling a literary origin story almost as famous as Frankenstein itself, of how an 18-year-old Shelley started writing *Frankenstein* in 1816 while staying in a villa on Lake Geneva with two of her era’s leading poets, Lord Byron and Percy Bysshe Shelley, her lover. Housebound by foul weather, the three read Gothic tales of ghosts and monsters and challenged each other to produce something even more terrifying. Mary dreamed up a story of a man who defied death by creating a living being out of scraps of deceased men harvested from graveyards and anatomy labs. The resulting novel, *Frankenstein*, published anonymously in 1818, would by that century’s end become a touchstone in philosophical discourse on the nature of humanity and in political discussions of imperialism and populism. By the 21st century, Mary Shelley (as she became) had earned a more significant place in the literary canon than Byron and her husband Shelley. We will examine how this grisly tale became a landmark of modern thought and look at the part played by numerous film adaptations from the first years of cinema to the present day. (Door: $17, or $15 with a student ID. Listed time is for doors. The talk starts 30 minutes later.) Image: From a Theodor von Holst engraving in an 1831 edition of *Frankenstein* published by Colburn and Bentley of London.

[Profs and Pints Northern Virginia](https://www.profsandpints.com/washingtondc) presents: **“Satanic Panics,”** a look at waves of fear of demonic activity as an American tradition, with Luxx Mishou, cultural historian and former instructor at the U.S. Naval Academy and area community colleges. [Advance tickets: $13.50 plus sales tax and processing fees. Available at [https://www.ticketleap.events/tickets/profsandpints/nv-satanic-panics](https://www.ticketleap.events/tickets/profsandpints/nv-satanic-panics) .] The 1980s found the United States gripped by fear of Satanic cults targeting children. They were believed to be corrupting young ones in daycare centers and tempting teens through subliminal messages on heavy metal albums or through the quiet inclusion of demonic rituals in role-playing games. Satanic serial killers supposedly stalked the suburbs. Doctors helped patients uncover what were claimed to be repressed memories of ritualistic satanic abuse. Parents, police, and politicians were urged to protect impressionable youths from both moral and physical danger. With Satanic cults deemed to be a real and material threat, it was a frightening time for everyone, including those who suddenly came under suspicion for doing evil deeds. Then, suddenly, it all faded from public consciousness, just as surely as did eighties fads such mullet haircuts, leg warmers, and Cabbage Patch Kids. Why did it all start? Why did it stop? And has this happened before or since? Hear such questions tackled by Luxx Mishou, a cultural historian and media specialist who has long researched the devious and villainous in cultural artifacts. She’ll discuss moral panics as a longstanding cultural tradition, with each new one stemming from fear of cultural shifts and shaped by the time and place where it occurred. Among the panics we’ll look into are the Red Scare of the 1950s and the public response to the gruesome 1969 murders committed by the Manson Family. Delving into the 1980s panic, Mishou will describe how it began with the 1980 publication of psychiatrist Lawrence Pazder’s memoir *Michelle Remembers*, detailing the suppressed memories of ritualistic abuse reportedly suffered by a patient. As that book quickly became a best seller, its ideas saturated American culture. A California daycare center became the focus of a three-year investigation, followed by three years of trials, based on allegations that its owner had engaged in secret ritualistic abuse of the children in its care. Mishou will lead you through the media that convinced the public that devil worshipers were among them, and she’ll talk about how reactions to imagined threats can have very real social costs. (Doors: $17, or $15 with a student ID. Listed time is for doors. The talk starts 30 minutes later.) Image by Canva.

**BreadBreakers is a community where people of all different belief systems and backgrounds can create community - and what better way to do that than reading together?** Join us as we combine the kind, curious, and welcoming atmosphere of a BreadBreakers dinner with the thought-provoking, fun format of a book club. Here's what to expect: * We'll be reading *Of Mice and Men*, by John Steinbeck. * This will be a one-meeting club, so if you've ever wanted to do a book club but couldn't commit to multiple meetings, here's your opportunity! * Snacks :) * BreadBreakers ground rules apply - we'll lead with curiosity, converse with kindness, and strive to dig beneath the surface level. * We'll be gathering in Meeting Room 1 at the Reston Regional Library. * Participants will be responsible for obtaining their own copies of the book. [Here's the Amazon link, if helpful.](https://www.amazon.com/Mice-Men-John-Steinbeck/dp/0140177396) * Our BreadBreakers table hosts will come ready with questions and facilitation skills - you come ready to discuss! **I've never attended a BreadBreakers event before - what is BreadBreakers?** BreadBreakers is a community where neighbors from all different beliefs and backgrounds can **hear, be heard, and know one another.** Most frequently, we do this through the ancient practice of breaking bread around a common dining table. But we're more than just a discussion group - we're a movement to heal our world's broken discourse and forge togetherness in a time of isolation and loneliness. **Through the sacred act of just "being" together, we're working to rebuild the town square, one table (or book club) at a time.** BreadBreakers is a religiously inclusive by Restoration United Methodist Church in Reston, VA. All faiths, beliefs, and stripes are welcomed, and our leadership and community include people who attend Restoration and people who don't.

**Applying Dr. King’s Legacy Today** Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s vision was not only about hope—it was about action. This meetup invites people from all backgrounds to explore how Dr. King’s principles of justice, nonviolence, and the Beloved Community can be lived out in today’s world. Together, we’ll reflect on Dr. King’s teachings, connect them to current challenges, and discuss practical ways to apply his legacy in our daily lives, communities, and institutions. Through respectful dialogue and shared learning, we aim to move beyond remembrance toward meaningful engagement and positive change. Whether you’re new to Dr. King’s work or have long been inspired by it, this gathering offers space to listen, learn, and act—together. **All are welcome.**

**Happiness is a Decision** Happiness does not come from outside, it comes from inside, and when you radiate a happy energy, you'll be amazed by what it attracts into your life. Wed., Jan. 21st, 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm. Held at Brahma Kumaris, 14020 Thunderbolt Pl., Suite 200, 2nd Floor, Chantilly, VA. Free event - Register at: [https://shorturl.at/9BR5y](https://shorturl.at/9BR5y)