The University of Virginia’s Division of Perceptual Studies research portfolio includes investigating children who have memories of past lives; the nature of consciousness and the mind-body relationship; neuro-imaging studies of psi events; and individuals who report experiencing near-death experiences(NDEs). In this panel, the legendary actor, writer, and comedian, John Cleese, convenes DOPS research faculty to present an overview of the research to which they have dedicated their academic careers. https://www.tomtomfoundation.org/post/is-there-life-after-death-with-uva-s-dops Filmed: Thursday April 12th, 2018 | The Paramount Theater | Charlottesville, VA Moderator: John Cleese, Cofounder, Monty Python Speakers: Jim B. Tucker M.D. , UVA, Director of the Division of Perceptual Studies, Bonner-Lowry Professor of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences | Bruce Greyson, M.D. , UVA, Chester F. Carlson Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences | Kim Penberthy, Ph.D. , UVA, ABPP, Chester F. Carlson Professor of Psychiatry & Neurobehavioral Sciences | Edward Kelly, Ph.D. , UVA, Professor of Research, Division of Perceptual Studies, Department of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences | Emily Williams Kelly, Ph.D. , UVA, Assistant Professor of Research, Division of Perceptual Studies, Department of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences

Alexis Ohanian, the founder of Reddit, shares his story at the Tom Tom Founders Summit in 2015. Check out this year's event: http://tomtomfest.com/founders-summit/

At 31, #SymoneSanders has charted a remarkable career crafting campaign strategy and advising on policy at the highest level of #Americanpolitics — and as a #Blackwoman from North Omaha, Nebraska, she has done so with the odds stacked against her. On January 16, 2021, Sanders joined Ben Allen, Executive Director of The Equity Center at the @University of Virginia in a conversation about navigating the “-isms”, the opportunities and limitations of #DEI work, and how building more responsive #careerpipelines is the future of #economicopportunity. Pick up a copy of her new book, “No, You Shut Up: Speaking Truth to Power and Reclaiming America” at your local bookseller.

Over the course of the Civil War, there were three capitals of the Confederacy — Montgomery (AL), Richmond (VA), and Danville (VA). For the first time in history, all three cities have elected Black mayors. Tom Tom is excited to announce a Marquee Talk with mayors Steven Reed and Levar Stoney, moderated by the former mayor of New Orleans, Mitch Landrieu. They’ll discuss their personal and political journeys, the legacy and future of the South, and their ongoing work for equity and justice. Meet the Mayors: Steven Reed, Montgomery, AL As Montgomery County, Alabama’s first African-American mayor and youngest elected probate judge, Reed has expanded access to representation, improved facilities, and modernized the office to better serve the community. He has a long track record of fighting for the underserved through making drastic improvements to mental health services, standing up for marriage equality, and advocating for voter inclusivity. The recipient of the Dr. Martin Luther King Leadership Award for Governmental Service was born and raised in Montgomery and is deeply connected to his community on every level. Levar Stoney, Richmond, VA Richmond’s youngest mayor is focused on building One Richmond, a welcoming, inclusive, and equitable city where everyone has the same opportunities. He previously served as Executive Director of the Democratic Party of Virginia, which helped elect Obama in 2008. As Secretary of the Commonwealth under Governor McAuliffe, he helped restore more civil and voting rights than any other state in the country. His current initiatives include organizing a commission to lead conversations about Richmond’s Confederate history, designating an LGBTQ+ liaison to help protect citizens from discrimination, and championing children through significant investments in public schools. Mitch Landrieu (Moderator) Lawyer, Author, Political Commentator The former mayor of New Orleans gained national attention for his bold decision to remove four Confederate monuments in his city, earning him the prestigious John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award. Through his recent launch of E Pluribus Unum, he is fulfilling America’s promise for justice and opportunity for all by breaking down barriers that divide us by race and class. Prior to serving as mayor, he served two terms as lieutenant governor and as president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors. Thanks to Calvin Earl for the use of his song 2020 the People's Anthem. Music distribution with CDBaby Pro. Song was written by Calvin Earl and Christi Earl. All Rights Reserved.

Our first event will feature Louis Nelson, Vice Provost for Academic Outreach and Professor of Architectural History at University of Virginia, who will use local monuments to help us trace the history of racism here — from the construction of UVA in the early 19th century, to the oppressive regime of the early 20th century, to the various practices of racial mockery that shape our social practices today. Some clips featured in this recording were originally prepared for Love Thy Neighbor: A Christian View on Race and Racism in Charlottesville by Drew Precious.

The crisis of Black birth has long been known, but what are we doing about it? According to C.D.C. data released in January, the maternal mortality rate in America has again risen over the last ten years. Black mothers are still making up a disproportionate number of those deaths—and are three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than their white counterparts. Black infants? Twice as likely. Join a few of the foremost experts in the field to discuss perhaps the most glaring and primary health inequity facing our communities today. And the impact of Covid-19? Don’t even get them started. Thanks to Calvin Earl for the use of his song 2020 the People's Anthem. Music distribution with CDBaby Pro. Song was written by Calvin Earl and Christi Earl. All Rights Reserved.

Covid-19 has exposed major cracks within our nation’s healthcare system, and communities of color have been disproportionately ravaged by the novel virus. For many cities, including Charlottesville, the inequity is exacerbated by a long history of mistrust from African Americans toward the medical systems that provide care. At home, the UVA Health System is seeking to ease that tension and rebuild trust. Join Michael D. Williams, Associate Chief Medical Officer for Clinical Integration at UVA Health System as he attempts to answer these critical questions while mapping out a road to recovery.

NewYorkTimes Bestseller What J. D. Vance did for Appalachia with Hillbilly Elegy, @CNN analyst and one of the youngest state representatives in South Carolina history Bakari Sellers does for the rural South, in this important book that illuminates the lives of America’s forgotten black working-class men and women. Part memoir, part historical and cultural analysis, My Vanishing Country is an eye-opening journey through the South's past, present, and future. Anchored in Bakari Seller’s hometown of Denmark, South Carolina, Country illuminates the pride and pain that continues to fertilize the soil of one of the poorest states in the nation. He traces his father’s rise to become, friend of Stokely Carmichael and Martin Luther King, a civil rights hero, and member of the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), to explore the plight of the South's dwindling rural, black working-class—many of whom can trace their ancestry back for seven generations. In his poetic personal history, we are awakened to the crisis affecting the other “Forgotten Men & Women,” who the media seldom acknowledges. For Sellers, these are his family members, neighbors, and friends. He humanizes the struggles that shape their lives: to gain access to healthcare as rural hospitals disappear; to make ends meet as the factories they have relied on shut down and move overseas; to hold on to precious traditions as their towns erode; to forge a path forward without succumbing to despair. My Vanishing Country is also a love letter to fatherhood—to Sellers' father, his lodestar, whose life lessons have shaped him, and to his newborn twins, who he hopes will embrace the Sellers family name and honor its legacy. Thanks to Calvin Earl for the use of his song 2020 the People's Anthem. Music distribution with CDBaby Pro. Song was written by Calvin Earl and Christi Earl. All Rights Reserved.