What Caused the Populist Earthquake of 2016?

Hedrick Smith, Pulitzer Prize-winner whose 1971 expose’ of the Pentagon Papers altered America’s role in the Vietnam War and whose 2013 book presaged the populist movement that helped Donald Trump win the U.S. presidency, will discuss populism, protests and political promises in a forum on March 15 at the University of South Florida St. Petersburg.

That revolution will be the focal point of Smith’s presentation as he delves into the Women’s March movement that launched after Trump’s inauguration, structural reforms that could level the playing field for American workers, and the Trump administration’s promises and policies. Following his talk, Smith will be joined on stage by Katie Sanders, Deputy Editor of PolitiFact and Suzanne Benton, organizer of the St. Petersburg Women’s March for a panel discussion. A Public Q&A will follow.

Hedrick will be the distinguished Aresty Speaker in a forum presented by USF’s Open Partnership Education Network (OPEN), the USFSP Department of Journalism and Media Studies, and the Institute for Strategic Policy Solutions at St. Petersburg College. The OPEN Parternship Education Network is sponsored by the Aresty Family Foundation. Admission is free, but advance registration is requested.