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Programs

2026 Community Over Chaos Speaker Series

Overview

"Community Over Chaos"

A series that brings scholars, organizers, and community leaders together to explore how nonviolence, dialogue, and collective action can build a more just and compassionate society in times of crisis.

 Inspired by Rev. James Lawson’s lifelong commitment to nonviolence and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s call to choose “community over chaos,” the series examines the interconnected struggles for justice and the transformative power of nonviolent action. Through these conversations, Community Over Chaos seeks to inspire moral reflection and collective action grounded in solidarity, truth, and the enduring power of community.

This series is presented in collaboration with Dialogue Vanderbilt’s 250 Conversations on America: Civil Discourse in Action series.

Click on an event below to learn more and register. Registration links will be updated as events approach.

Speaker Series

  • January 13, 2026

    5:30 PM Vanderbilt Divinity School Room G29

    "Community as Sanctuary: Defending Immigrant Families in Times of Fear"

    Join us for a timely campus conversation on immigration, justice, and community power with Cathy Carrillo.

    Register

  • We Live Here: Community Power and the Struggle for Environmental Justice

    February 24th 2026

    4:00 pm Vanderbilt Divinity School Room G29

    We Live Here: Community Power and the Struggle for Environmental Justice

    Join us to discuss environmental racism and the fight for health equity and dignity in frontline communities.

    Register

  • Housing Justice: Community Over Chaos Speaker Series

    March 17th 2025

    4:00 pm

    Housing Justice: Community Over Chaos Speaker Series

  • Poverty: Community Over Chaos Speaker Series

    April 2, 2026

    4:00 pm

    Poverty: Community Over Chaos Speaker Series