The Charles W. Kegley Memorial Lecture is an annual event named in honor of Dr. Charles W. Kegley, first chair of the California State University, Bakersfield Philosophy and Religious Studies Department. Dr. Kegley believed in practicing philosophy in connection with real people and real problems. This lecture continues this tradition, featuring engaging talks on topics ranging from poverty, human rights, and environmental ethics to free speech, education, and health care (among many other topics). Examples of past speakers include Tracy Martin, Mira Sorvino, Daniel Ellsburg, Paul Rusesabagina, Peter Singer, Cornel West and Jocelyn Elders.
Past Lectures
April 2024: 37th Annual Charles W. Kegley Memorial Lecture, "Changing the Narrative: Native/Indigenous Representation in the News Media," featuring Rebecca Nagle, Award-Winning Journalist.
April 2023: 36th Charles W. Kegley Memorial Lecture, "Identity, Immigration, and Memory: An Evening With Viet Thanh Nguyen"
April 2022: 35th Charles W. Kegley Memorial Lecture, “Ear Hustle: Stories of Life In and Beyond Prison,” Nigel Poor and Earlonne Woods
April 2021: 34th Annual Charles W. Kegley Memorial Lecture, "How To Be An Antiracist," Dr. Ibram X. Kendi
April 2019: 33rd Annual Charles W. Kegley Memorial Lecture, "Education or Incarceration?: Activism and the Prison-Industrial Complex," featuring Dr. Angela Davis.
April 2018: 32nd Annual Charles W. Kegley Memorial Lecture," Ethical Dilemmas in Democratic Education", featuring Dr. Meira Levinson, Harvard University.
April 2017: 31st Annual Charles W. Kegley Memorial Lecture, "The Global Fight Against Human Trafficking: A Voice for Victims of Modern Day Slavery," featuring Mira Sorvino, U.N. Goodwill Ambassador.
April 2016: 30th Annual Charles W. Kegley Memorial Lecture, "We Are All Trayvon," featuring Tracy Martin, father of Trayvon Martin.
April 2015: 29th Annual Charles W. Kegley Memorial Lecture,"Why the United States Needs More Edward Snowdens," featuring Daniel Ellsberg.
April 2014: 28th Annual Charles W. Kegley Memorial Lecture, "Sowing the Seeds of Justice," Former California Supreme Court Justice Cruz Reynoso.
April 2013: 27th Annual Charles W. Kegley Memorial Lecture, "What is Life Worth?," featuring Kenneth Feinberg, Special Master for the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund.
April 2012: 26th Anniversary Charles W. Kegley Memorial Lecture, "Back from the Brink: The Causes and Ethical Implications of the Great Recession," featuring James B. Stewart.
April 2011: 25th Anniversary Charles W. Kegley Memorial Lecture, "Hotel Rwanda: A Lesson Yet to be Learned," Paul Rusesabagina.
April 2009: 23rd Annual Charles W. Kegley Memorial Lecture, "Ethics and Climate Change: The Future of Life on Earth," featuring famed paleo-anthropologist Richard Leakey.
April 2008: 22nd Annual Charles W. Kegley Memorial Lecture, "Immigration and Hispanics in America," featuring renowned author and essayist Richard Rodriquez.
April 2007: 21st Annual Charles W. Kegley Memorial Lecture, "Ethical Globalization," featuring Mary Robinson, former president of Ireland.
April 2006: 20th Anniversary Charles W. Kegley Memorial Lecture, "Dead Man Walking: Reflections on the Value of Life," featuring Sr. Helen Prejean.
May 2005: 19th Annual Charles W. Kegley Memorial Lecture, "Is There Life After Fox? American Journalism Tries to Speak to a Polarized Audience," featuring Tim Rutten, Pulitzer Prize winning reporter from Los Angeles Times.
April 2004: 18th Annual Charles W. Kegley Memorial Lecture--"Ethics and College Sports: Finding the Moral Balance," featuring Myles Brand, PhD, President, National Collegiate Athletic Association.
April 2003: 17th Annual Charles W. Kegley Memorial Lecture-- "Ethics in a Free Society: Convictions, Compromise, and Consensus," featuring Dan Callahan, PhD, Founder, The Hastings Center.
May 2002: 16th Annual Charles W. Kegley Memorial Lecture--"Women's Rights in Islam," featuring Halima Addou, Lawyer - Human Rights Activist - Algerian Refugee.
April 2001: 15th Annual Charles W. Kegley Memorial Lecture--"Race Matters," featuring Cornel West, PhD, University Professor, Princeton University.
May 2000: 14th Annual Charles W. Kegley Memorial Lecture--"Rethinking Life and Death," featuring Peter Singer, DeCamp Professor of Bioethics, University Center for Human Values, Princeton University.
April 1999: 13th Annual Charles W. Kegley Memorial Lecture--"Scoops, Scandals and the Bottom Line: Media Coverage and Politics," featuring the late David Shaw, Pulitzer Prize Winning Media Analyst from Los Angeles Times.
March 1998: 12th Annual Charles W. Kegley Memorial Lecture--"Creativity, Poetry, and Humanhood," featuring Robert Hass, PhD, U. S. Poet Laureate, Professor of Literature, U.C. Berkeley.
September 1997: 11th Annual Charles W. Kegley Memorial Lecture--"Creativity and Humanhood," featuring Tony Kushner, Pulitzer Prize Winning Playwright of the Tony Award Winning Angels in America.
February 1997: 10th Annual Charles W. Kegley Memorial Lecture--"The U. S. Moral Climate as We Approach the New Millenium," featuring Dr. Joycelyn Elders, former U.S. Surgeon General.
