Eric Holder, former U.S. Attorney General under President Barack Obama, to speak at Earlham College  

Eric Holder, who served as U.S. Attorney General under President Barack Obama, will visit Earlham College on Thursday, Sept. 17, for a conversation exploring law, leadership, criminal justice and democracy. 

The event begins at 7 p.m. at Carpenter Hall Goddard Auditorium. The event is free and open to the public, but advance reservations are required. Tickets are available at earlham.edu/lectures. 

Holder served as the nation’s 82nd U.S. Attorney General and was the first African American to hold the office. During his tenure, he helped shape national conversations on criminal justice reform, voting rights and the role of the Justice Department. More recently, he has led national efforts to address partisan gerrymandering and strengthen democratic representation as chairman of the National Democratic Redistricting Committee. His conversation will also draw on themes from his new book, “Our Unfinished March,” co-authored with Sam Koppelman, which examines the history of voting rights in America and the ongoing importance of civic participation in protecting democracy. 

Holder’s appearance is the latest event in Earlham’s Presidential Lecture Series, which has welcomed nationally recognized leaders and thinkers to campus, including Pete Buttigieg, Van Jones and Nikole Hannah-Jones. Following the hourlong moderated event, Holder will sign copies of his latest book.

The series aims to bring prominent speakers and change-makers to campus to address the important topics of the day, especially those focused on diversity, innovation, social justice and overcoming adversity. 

Each Presidential lecture is funded by the Hawkins Just Society Lecture Fund, the Artist and Lecture Series and the President’s Discretionary Fund. The Hawkins Just Society Lecture Fund was established by Neil and Annmarie Hawkins and their daughter, Rachel, who graduated from Earlham in 2010. The fund is named in the honor of Neil’s parents, Kazue Fukada Hawkins and Julian Neil Hawkins, whose lives were forever changed by World War II and the Korean War. Its purpose is to bring to Earlham speakers or performers who are survivors of prejudice or whose particular message or performance addresses issues of societal injustice; who celebrate the indomitable spirit of those who advocate for fairness and justice; or who overcame such experiences to address them in broader society. Prejudice areas included in the series are race, religion, sexual orientation/gender status, and disability.

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About Earlham College 

Earlham College and Earlham School of Religion foster a collaborative learning community that inspires and motivates students with transformative opportunities and experiences so they can become catalysts for good in a changing world. Located in Richmond, Indiana, Earlham is one of U.S. News & World Report’s Top 100 national liberal arts colleges and offers one of the top 20 classroom experiences in the nation, according to the Princeton Review.