Fall 2026 Events
America 250 and Its Promises
The American Founding and the Abiding Pursuit of Its Ideals
In recognition of America’s 250th anniversary, the Center presents programs exploring the nation’s founding ideas and the ongoing pursuit of its ideals.
Forging Democracy: The 1776 SC Constitution and its Enduring Impact
Join a discussion commemorating the 250th anniversary of the 1776 South Carolina Constitution, featuring former Chief Justice of the South Carolina Supreme Court Jean Toal, the Hon. J. Michelle Childs, Camden Mayor Vincent Sheheen and William Watkins, Esq., and moderated by the Hon. Julius N. Richardson.
Date:
Time: 6:00-7:30 p.m.
Location: Karen J. Williams Courtroom in the Joseph F. Rice School of Law
Register for Forging Democracy
First Friday Lunch & Civic Dialogue on Citizenship ft. Professor Agnes Mueller
The Center will host USC faculty to present, over the course of a year, lunchtime presentations on a yearly theme on the first Friday of each month. The theme for 2026-2027 is Citizenship: What does citizenship mean? What does it mean to be a good citizen, and what are the obligations of citizenship? How does citizenship intersect with my other identities? Participants will engage with the theme from their personal and disciplinary perspectives.
Agnes Mueller, a Professor of German and Comparative Literature, will lead the September dialogue. Lunch will be provided.
Date:
Time: 12:00-1:00 p.m.
Location: TBD
2026 Constitution Day Event: “I, Too, Sing America: The Black Affirmation of American Independence”
The Center will host a 2026 Constitution Day event featuring Professor Lucas Morel of Washington & Lee. This event will explore how the principles of the American founding have been understood, interpreted and affirmed within the African American intellectual and political tradition, with a focus on the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the civil rights movement.
This event will deepen participants’ understanding of the enduring significance of America’s founding ideals and encourage them to engage thoughtfully with how core constitutional principles, such as equality, liberty and natural rights, have evolved over time.
This event is sponsored by the Center for American Civic Leadership and Public Discourse, the Department of Political Science, the McCausland College of Arts and Sciences, and the Joseph F. Rice School of Law with support from the Jack Miller Center.
Date:
Time: 6:00-7:30 p.m.
Location: Karen J. Williams Courtroom in the Joseph F. Rice School of Law
Register for I, Too, Sing America
First Friday Lunch & Civic Dialogue on Citizenship ft. Professor Lauren Skarloff
Lauren Skarloff, Professor of History, will lead the October discussion. Lunch will be provided.
Date:
Time: 12:00-1:00 p.m.
Location: TBD
Abraham Lincoln's American Revolution: How the 16th President Would Celebrate the 250th
Professor Guelzo will deliver a lecture exploring how President Lincoln understood the American Revolution as the great event of American history from which he drew conclusions about equality, the consent of the governed, and the nature of the revolution itself. The lecture will discuss how Lincoln drew inspiration from the nation’s Founders, which strengthened his resolve that the terrible costs of the Civil War would bring the nation “a new birth of freedom.”
This event is sponsored by the Center for American Civic Leadership and Public Discourse in the McCausland College of Arts and Sciences with support from the Jack Miller Center.
Date:
Time: 7:00-8:30 p.m.
Location: Karen J. Williams Courtroom in the Joseph F. Rice School of Law
Register for Abraham Lincoln's American Revolution
“A Lincoln Portrait” Orchestra Performance
Join us for a University of South Carolina Symphony Orchestra performance of “A Lincoln Portrait” by Aaron Copland, with Professor Allen Guelzo serving as narrator. This interdisciplinary event will combine historical reflection with artistic expression, deepening participant engagement with the moral and political legacy of the founding.
Date:
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Location: The Koger Center for the Performing Arts
First Friday Lunch & Civic Dialogue on Citizenship ft. Professor F. Wayne Outten
F. Wayne Outten, Professor of Biochemistry, will lead the November discussion. Lunch will be provided.
Date:
Time: 12:00-1:00 p.m.
Location: TBD