On March 26th, the Colin Powell School hosted New York State Attorney General Letitia James for the 12th Annual Sternberg Family Lecture in Public Scholarship, themed “Courageous Leadership in Trying Times.”
Attorney General James spoke to students from across Powell School programs — including the Moynihan Center, Office of Student Success Fellows, Honors Program in Legal Studies, HOLI, and the Mandela Initiative — offering remarks on the role of the Attorney General and highlighting specific actions her office has taken, including lawsuits against Ticketmaster for anticompetitive practices and opioid manufacturers for their role in the drug crisis. She urged students to recognize that standing up for what is right often means confronting entrenched power — and drew deeply from the legacy of the civil rights movement, reminding the audience that the freedoms we enjoy today were secured by those who were willing to fight for them.
Her remarks were followed by a conversation with Professors Dirk Moses, Lorelei Salas, and Rick Stengel, moderated by Sternberg Family Professor in Leadership Dave Chokshi, and an audience Q&A.
CCNY President Vincent Boudreau closed the event with thanks to Sy and Laurie Sternberg for their continued support of the lecture series, and reflected on the importance of such events in cultivating the spirit of leadership that General Powell sought to inspire in his students.
Watch the full recording below:
