Sam Gill, President & CEO, Doris Duke Foundation sits down with Angela Davis, a scholar and activist, known for her work in Black liberation, prison abolition, and Marxist feminism. Discussing the importance of intersectional resistance, education, and youth leadership in challenging systemic oppression and driving social change.Dr. Angela Davis, a prominent figure in the civil rights and Black Power movements, has spent decades advocating for social justice, with a focus on dismantling systemic racism and the prison-industrial complex.Last year, she visited Shangri La as part of the Equitable Futures Fellowship, a partnership between the Doris Duke Foundation, The Shangri La Museum of Islamic Art, Culture & Design, and the East-West Center, empowering diverse leaders from across sectors to tackle inequity in all it’s forms from income and health care disparities to the impacts of the climate crisis.

Sam Gill, President & CEO, Doris Duke Foundation, sits down with Ambassador Karl Eikenberry, retired U.S. Army lieutenant general and former U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan, to discuss his reflections on his transformative journey.

Sam Gill, President & CEO, Doris Duke Foundation sits down with Chair Shelly Lowe, National Endowment for the Humanities to discuss Chair Lowe’s powerful leadership journey, the Indigenous experience in higher education institutions, and the importance of long-term change to envision a more equitable future in the Humanities.   Subscribe to Shangri La’s YouTube channel and click the notification bell to be notified as soon as the next episode is released! #education #podcast #culture #leadership #humanities #art #conversation

Sam Gill, President & CEO, Doris Duke Foundation sits down with Wade Henderson, a pillar of civil rights leadership, to discuss Henderson’s legendary work in the pursuit of civil rights advocacy and change for a more equitable future. Wade Henderson is a distinguished civil rights leader who led the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights for over 20 years, significantly advancing U.S. civil and human rights policy. Henderson was at Shangri La earlier this year alongside the Doris Duke Foundation’s Child Wellbeing Program which hosted a convening on transformation in child welfare and a pau hana (after work) networking event for Hawaiʻi-based funders. To learn more about the Doris Duke Foundation and the recent work of the Doris Duke Foundation’s Child Wellbeing Program, including a recent Convening on Child Welfare Transformation hosted by the White House Domestic Policy Council, please visit www.dorisduke.org | https://www.dorisduke.org/news--insights/articles/convening-on-child-welfare-transformation-hosted-by-the-white-house-domestic-policy-council/?1=1&page=1 .

Executive Editor, NYT Local Investigations Fellowship, Dean Baquet shares insights from his career at The New York Times, his experiences in journalism during recent election cycles, and his hopes for the future of unbiased, investigative reporting. This conversation, moderated by Meredith Artley, Board Member, Civil Beat and Former Executive-in-Residence at the Doris Duke Foundation, was co-presented with Civil Beat at Shangri La in July 2024. Civil Beat reporter Blaze Lovell spent a year working with Baquet as a New York Times Local Investigations Fellow.Watch the full conversation and Q&A on Civil Beat's YouTube Channel: https://youtu.be/g6a2RrmppGE?si=omGJJXawbNkBalX_Subscribe to Shangri La’s YouTube channel and click the notification bell to be notified as soon as the next episode is released!#journalism #truth #media #newyorktimes #DeanBaquet #CivilBeat #election

Shangri La presents Transformations, a conversation series featuring voices from across the globe exploring powerful moments of inspiration, passion, and purpose. In this inaugural episode of Transformations, Carissa Moore, Olympic Gold Medalist, Five-Time World Champion and Founder of Moore Aloha, shares insights from her career and the beauty of the unknown as she prepares for the 2024 Paris Olympics and the new road ahead after announcing her retirement from competitive surfing.Carissa Moore was the keynote speaker for Shangri La's Doris Duke Visionary Voices: Women, Creativity & Power event. This conversation was moderated by Meredith Artley, Executive-in-Residence, Doris Duke Foundation.Subscribe to Shangri La’s YouTube channel and click the notification bell to be notified as soon as our next episode drops!#surfing #olympics #podcast

Shangri La presents the first episode of its "Community in Conversation" series featuring Dr. Akiemi Glenn, Executive Director of The Pōpolo Project and Ryan Kamakakēhau Fernandez, Musician and Shangri La 8x8:Source artist. This episode was moderated by Navid Najafi, Associate Curator of Programs and Social Practice. In this episode, Ryan Kamakakēhau Fernandez and Dr. Akiemi Glenn speak to how their work and kuleana brings visibility to what it means to be Black in Hawai‘i, the importance of language preservation, and how their experiences have uncovered strength through community and cultural connections in the Pacific. Shangri La’s "Community in Conversation" series brings visionary creatives and community voices across Hawai‘i to Shangri La to share in thought provoking dialogues of connection, inspiration, and hope for a more creative, equitable and sustainable future. About Ryan Kamakakēhau Fernandez: Ryan Kamakakēhau Fernandez, also known as Kamaka, is a talented musician who embodies the spirit of Hawaiʻi. Despite being born in Arkansas, Kamaka was adopted by a Hawaiian family and raised on the shores of Maui. His education in the Hawaiian Language Immersion Program allowed him to become fluent in the Hawaiian language, becoming a strong advocate for its preservation.Kamaka’s love for Hawaiian culture and music led him to discover his passion for the ukulele and falsetto singing. He won the prestigious Richard Hoʻopiʻi Falsetto contest in 2003 and has since captivated audiences with his incredible voice and skillful ukulele playing. Kamaka has performed on various renowned stages in Hawaiʻi, including the Ritz-Carlton and the Maui Arts & Cultural Center. He has also showcased his talent in the continental United States and Japan.For Kamaka, Hawaiʻi is not just a place, but a part of his heart and soul. He cherishes his family, friends and the rich culture that he was fortunate enough to be immersed in. Kamaka’s dedication to preserving the Hawaiian language and sharing the beauty of Hawaiian music has made him one of the most renowned and refreshing talents in Hawaiʻi.About Dr. Akiemi Glenn: Raised in the rural US South with Black and Coharie genealogies that tie her to the forest and coastal areas of Virginia and North Carolina, Dr. Akiemi Glenn is a scholar and culture worker who now lives on the island of Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi. A linguist who works in Indigenous language revitalization, a researcher, filmmaker, artist, and cultural practitioner, her work engages concepts of culture, race, and belonging at the intersections of art, social justice, and education. She is the founder and executive director of the Pōpolo Project, an organization whose mission is to redefine what it means to be Black in Hawai‘i through cultivating connections between individuals, our communities, our ancestors, and the land, highlighting the vivid, complex diversity of Black cultures and communities in the Pacific and around the world.Watch Ryan Kamakakēhau Fernandez’s 8x8: Source Performance: https://youtu.be/QhUbJ_h0Pfk?si=sxIjPofHOmKrfaxB 8x8: Source: https://www.shangrilahawaii.org/visit/exhibitions/8x8-source/ About the Manu-o-Kū: https://www.shangrilahawaii.org/david-shepard/ Learn more about Shangri La: https://www.shangrilahawaii.org | @hi_shangrila Subscribe and click the notification bell to be the first to know when another episode of Community in Conversation is released!#blackhistory #hawaii #language

Did you know that Persian and Japanese cultures both celebrate the spring equinox? Nowruz, in Persian culture and Shunbun no Hi, in Japanese culture celebrate the welcoming of spring. Listen to our latest conversation between Navid Najafi, Associate Curator of Programs and Social Practice, Shangri La and Nate Gyotoku, Executive Director, Japanese Cultural Center of Hawai’i, talk about the similarities between these important cultural celebrations. About Nate Gyotoku: Born and raised in Hawai’i, Nate Gyotoku embodies both the Aloha spirit and Japanese American values. He is a yonsei descendant of Japanese great grandparents who immigrated to Hawai’i to work at the Hamakua sugar plantation. Both of his grandfathers served in WWII as a part of the 100th Battalion and the Military Intelligence Services respectively. Nate’s story highlights the fascinating history behind Japanese immigration to Hawai’i and his “ikigai” of making Hawai’i a better place by sharing Japanese American culture.

Shangri La Artist-In-Residence, Jordan Nassar is joined in conversation with Shangri La's Senior Curator of Collections & Exhibitions Dr. Leslee Michelsen and introduced by Public Programs & Events Coordinator Nahed Minawi. 

In this special audio program, we explore the artistic and curatorial voices behind recent exhibitions and programs at Shangri La.

In this three part series we explore the work of Shangri La’s first Hawaii-based artist in residence, Kamran Samimi. Kamran participated in a residency at Shangri La from January 1, 2020 to February 28, 2021 during which he created two exhibitions of original work. Check out the art here and here

In part three of this series, Kamran talks with one of his artistic influences - his father, Jamil Samimi. Together, they explore notions about the truth of the universe, spirituality and philosophy, art and science, nature and Star Wars!

Conversations were recorded either in person in Shangri La’s offices following Covid-19 protocols, or via Zoom. Featured music by Kahnma, audio series was recorded and edited by Jason Taglianetti.